Clara Mairs

Mairs created paintings, sculptures, decorative screens, and wall hangings in batik and tapestry, but she is best known for her etchings, which often picture women and frequently engage a humorous perspective. Born in Minnesota, Mairs studied at the St. Paul Institute and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In Paris, she studied at the Academie Julian, Academie Colarossi with E. A. Bourdelle, and Academie Montparnasse with Andre Lhote.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Mairs exhibited her prints across the United States and in Europe. Mairs was assisted with her prints by her longtime companion Clement Haupers, a printmaker and administrator for the WPA.