James C. Kulhanek

James Charles Kulhanek (April 23, 1908 – April 1, 1990) was an American commercial artist and designer.

James C. Kulhanek
Portrait of Kulhanek by Warren Baumgartner
Born(1908-04-23)April 23, 1908
Cleveland, Ohio
DiedApril 1, 1990(1990-04-01) (aged 81)
Cleveland, Ohio
Known forPainting, drawing, commercial art

Biography

Vaclav Kulhanek and Anna Kulhanek, née Veleba, the parents of James C. Kulhanek, were born in Bohemia within Austria-Hungary and settled in Cleveland in the 1900s. James C. Kulhanek was born there on April 23, 1908.[1]

Kulhanek was a student of Henry Keller at the Cleveland School of Art.[2]

Work

Between 1935 and 1942, Kulhanek received commissions through New Deal Works Progress Administration sponsored art projects (such as the rendering of several prints of elks, great horned owls,[3] and reindeer, now in the collection of Case Western University).[4][5] He also painted panels to be installed in the hallways of Collinwood[2] and Lincoln High Schools as well as the Federal Building.

Brookside Zoo Incident

In 1938, Kulhanek was a witness to an incident at Brookside Zoo where Judy Zemnick, another WPA artist, was pulled into a polar bear enclosure and clawed. Kulhanek and another artist called for help and tried to drive the bear away from Ms. Zemnick.[6] The incident received extensive press coverage at the time and for two years following.

References
  1. "Kulhanek, James Charles". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. October 25, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  2. Cullinan, Helen (March 19, 1978). "Downtown Scene - Three Painters: James C. Kulhanek". The Plain Dealer. p. 131. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  3. Brent (June 8, 2018). "New Deal of the Day: New Deal Bird Art (6/10): "Great Horned Owl"". New Deal of the Day. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  4. "Figures In Zoo Tragedy and Rescue of Artist from Bear". Plain Dealer. October 27, 1938. p. 1. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  5. "Work Progress Administration: Prints of the Federal Arts Project". Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  6. "Clawed 15 Minutes by Bear, Girl Artist to Live but Lose Eye". The Plain Dealer. October 27, 1938. p. 1. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
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