Germaine Claire KELLER

KELLER, Germaine Claire
Germaine Claire Keller, an esteemed artist, graphic designer, art director, gallerist, and teacher, of Austin, Texas passed away on Monday, March 7, 2016 at Westminster Retirement Community at the age of 77, after an aggressive and colorful battle with Parkinson's disease.

Germaine was born in Detroit, Michigan, where she lived until 1977 when she moved to New York City to further pursue her career as an artist. She attended Fordson High School in Detroit, then married and had three children. She attended the University of Michigan and Wayne State University completing her B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees respectively in sculpture and painting. During that time, she was the first woman to receive a one-person exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Art.

In New York she taught at the Parson's School of Design and New York University, was the recipient of NEA grants, a MacDowell Fellowship, an Athena Foundation Grant, a CETA grant, had numerous gallery shows, and outdoor installation exhibits at Ward's Island and Battery Park. In 1994 she opened her first gallery, St. Mark's Position, in New York City. The work of curating shows and providing a venue for the discourse of modern art-and engaging in that discourse-proved to be a deeply rewarding experience for her. Later, she was to open two more galleries, the Germaine Keller Gallery (1999-2005) in Garrison, NY, and 1305.3 Position Gallery (2008-2010)in Austin, TX.

Germaine's work has been acquired by several museums and individuals including the Museum of Modern Art Archives, the National Endowment of the Arts, the Port Authority of NY and NJ, Sol LeWitt, and the Detroit Institute of Art. She was published in The New York Times, Art Magazine, The Village Voice, Soho Weekly, and more. Up until 9/11, she enjoyed her work as an Art Director for the Wall Street Journal.

In 2004 she moved to Austin to be near family. There she taught at Austin Community College and The Art School at Laguna Gloria and showed at the Austin Museum of Art (and at Grand Rapids Museum of Art as part of ArtPrize) in The Mona Lisa Project, Women and Their Work, East (at Resonance Studio) and West Austin Studio Tours, Northern-Southern, Laguna Gloria, and an outdoor exhibit at Zilker Park. Her work is currently on display at the the People's Gallery, City Hall art exhibit.

Her survivors include her three children, Sherry Keller of Austin, Bradford Keller of New York City, Cynthia Playfair, M.D. and husband Paul Playfair, M.D. of Austin, two granddaughters, Emily Playfair and Katherine Playfair of Austin, a sister, Beverly Hedden of Cottonwood, AZ, a brother John Goike and wife Sharon Goike of St. Clair, MI, nieces and nephews, Whitney David, Veronica David and husband Chris Giradot, Lisa Goike, Aisha Hedden, and Jonathan Hedden and wife Jennifer Hedden, M.D.

Germaine wanted to acknowledge her lifelong companion and fellow artist Claude van Lingen as well as the Austin art community and her dear friends in New York and Austin with whom she shared the exploration of art and thought.

For information on a memorial service which will be held in the coming months, email cyndyplay@sbcglobal.net, brad@discabilities.org, and sherry_keller@dell.com. The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Germaine's many caretakers at Westminster. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the MacDowell Colony at 163 East 81st Street, New York, NY 10028.