Regensteiner, Else (Friedsam) 1906-2003
REGENSTEINER, Else (Friedsam) 1906-2003
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born April 21, 1906, in Munich, Germany; died of heart failure January 18, 2003, in Chicago, IL. Textile designer, weaver, educator, and author. Regensteiner created hand-woven fabrics for designers and architects as a founding partner of the Reg/Wick studio in Chicago. Her designs emerged from the German Bauhaus school, though it was Regensteiner who applied the style to woven fabric, adding the element of art to what had been the craft of weaving. She was known for her interest in color and texture, her enthusiasm for integrating non-woven materials such as leather into the products of her loom, and her penchant for innovation and experimentation. Regensteiner taught fiber arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1945 to 1971 and directed the weaving program there for nearly fifteen years. She also exhibited her award-winning designs in solo and group shows throughout the United States. Regensteiner's writings include The Art of Weaving, Weaver's Study Course: Ideas and Techniques, Program for a Weaving Study Group, and Geometric Design in Weaving.
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
books
Wilson, Sadye Tune, Else Regensteiner: Biography of a Weaver, Tunstede (Nashville, TN), 1997.
periodicals
Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2003, obituary by Brad Webber, pp. 3-11.