How do you make history?
Georgia O’Keeffe was one of America’s most important artists. She grew up on a farm near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where she explored the outdoors and developed a love for nature. Deciding early on to become an artist, she worked hard to reach her goals, continuing to study and create even when money was tight or her ideas were different from others. She trained in Chicago and New York, developing a bold, modern style, painting close-up flowers, animal bones, and dramatic landscapes in ways people had never seen before. In the 1940s, she moved to New Mexico, where the desert inspired her for the rest of her life. Through her determination and creativity, O’Keeffe not only changed American art but also showed future generations that it is possible to succeed by staying true to your vision.
Meet Georgia O’Keeffe
Questions to Consider

What was special about Georgia’s way of making art? What skills did she practice when creating drawings and paintings? How do you practice these same skills today?

What were some of the challenges Georgia came up against when she was learning to be an artist? What did she do and why? Can you think of a time when you were challenged while doing something you cared about? What happened? Who or what helped you to deal with the challenge?

How did Georgia’s experiences growing up shape her career as an artist? What is an activity you do now that you enjoy? Imagine doing that for your career! What steps could you take to get there?
Peek Into the Past
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O’Keeffe with her painting supplies.
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, Bequest of Finis Welch
Sacred Heart Academy
Sacred Heart Academy in Madison, WI, where Georgia started high school in 1901.
Edgewood University Library Digital Collections
Watercolor painting
A watercolor of a vase with flowers made by Georgia around 1905.
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Art Students League
An ad from 1914 for the Art Students League, where Georgia went to school in 1907.
Public Domain
Photo of Georgia
Yearbook photo of Georgia O’Keeffe from her time teaching in Texas. Note the misspelled last name.
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Gallery show
A photograph of Georgia O’Keeffe’s first gallery show of just her work.
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Georgia's paintings
Some of Georgia’s paintings, including one that shows a close up of a flower.
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Georgia's early art
Georgia worked hard at her art, and this drawing (on the lower left) was included in her school catalog.
Sinsinawa Dominican Archives

















Read On

Georgia O’Keeffe: Painting Her Own Path
Get the full story with this biography book. Click the image to open the book and start reading. Audio files are available on each page if you’d like to listen along!
Project Credits
Producer
David Boffa
Animation Director
Steve Dorchester
Animator
Ian Glodich
2D Character Rigger
Steve Dorchester
Ian Glodich
Brandon Ribordy
Character and Background Designer
Beth Leak
Animation Title Designer
Katie Campshure
Animation Voice Over
Nichole Scott
Spanish Animation Voice Over
Elimar Ugueto
Animation Sound Design
Zack Sieger
Animation Producer
Philip Ashby
Audiobook Narration
Maureen McCollum
Audiobook Post-production
David Boffa
Captioning
Catie Pfeifer
Translation Services
Rev
Educator Support Materials
Mia Forslund
Jen Kobylecky
Web Design
Charles Barrows
Digital
Mark Riechers
Tim Schneider
John Vieth
Graphic and Motion Design
Katie Campshure
Ian Glodich
John Nichols
Executive Producer
Ryan Hendricks
Director of Education
Megan Monday
Director of Television
Jon Miskowski
Special Thanks
Kathryn Bilotta
Ann Prentice Wagner
YWCA Rock County Summer Camps
Educator Cohort
Laura Callen
Richmond School District
Sussex, WI
Pamela Dempsey
Madison Metropolitan School District and University of Wisconsin–Madison
Madison, WI
Mary Pat Erdmann
Wisconsin Rapids School District and Food and Farm Exploration Center
Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Lisa Husnick
Lodi Elementary School
Lodi, WI
Kristen Keyser
Indian Community School
Franklin, WI
Kerri Lintl
Merrimac Community School
Merrimac, WI
Darcy Maxwell
Summit Environmental School
La Crosse, WI
Susan Plewa
Gaenslen School
Milwaukee, WI
Tanya Schmidt
Oshkosh Area Public Schools
Oshkosh, WI
Mike Scoville
Gibraltar Area School District
Fish Creek, WI
Funding provided by
Timothy William Trout Education Fund
a gift of Monroe and Sandra Trout
Focus Fund for Education
Friends of PBS Wisconsin