City of Fort Worth, TX

03/15/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/15/2023 07:33

Women’s History Month Spotlight: Juanita Montgomery Gilbert

Women's History Month Spotlight: Juanita Montgomery Gilbert

Published on March 15, 2023

Women's History Month is celebrated in March to coincide with International Women's Day (March 8). This is a time to honor the contributions and legacy of women across history and society, including activists, civil rights pioneers and leaders in industry, politics, science, culture and more. In the spirit of that mission, each Wednesday in March, a local trailblazing woman will be featured in hopes that their stories will inspire residents to explore other fascinating change agents.

Juanita Montgomery Gilbertwas born in 1913 in Weatherford. There is not much known about her early life in Weatherford, but she did start studying art in her childhood.

Her first educators were Sallie Gillespie and Carrie Greathouse. Gilbert started studying art in her early teens under the guidance of Sallie Blyth Mummert in 1926 and studied with Mummert until her death in 1938.

Gilbert graduated high school from Central High School in Fort Worth in 1931. She enrolled in the North Texas Agricultural College (the University of Texas at Arlington), but completed her studies at Texas Christian University. Gilbert studied public art in preparation to become a public school teacher. Her plans to become a teacher were not realized due to the Great Depression.

Gilbert began her career by working in antique restoration, designing window displays downtown. She continued to illustrate by working for rare book dealer Philotheleos K. Ferney of Kennedale. She was illustrating fine books and manuscripts for the dealer. She also continued to work on her own art as a student member of the Fort Worth Artists' Guild and exhibited her work in both juried and non-juried shows in 1938 and 1939.

Gilbert launched her full-time career at Consolidated Vultee Aircraft (Convair/General Dynamics) bomber plant in 1942 when the plant opened in Fort Worth. As a professional technical illustrator at the plant, she worked alongside other known Fort Worth artists Dickson Reeder and Kelly Fearing. She prepared detailed drawings of equipment for the B-24 Liberator and the C-87 Liberator aircraft.

Harper's Bazaar Magazinefeatured Gilbert in a 1943 issue to highlight how American women were participating in the war effort.

That same year, Gilbert married Porter (B) Gilbert; they did not have children.

After the war ended in 1945, Gilbert left Convair, but returned in 1947 and worked there until 1966. She continued to work as an artist, focusing on watercolors and oils, until her death on Sept. 1, 1997, at 84.

Much of Gilbert's work was lost until her niece, Kathy Fowler, was cleaning out her house and found examples of her work. Famed art collector A.C. Cook said that she was truly a forgotten artist of Fort Worth.

Following her death, Gilbert's work was displayed in an exhibition in Denton in September of 1999. The rest of her personal collection was donated to the University of Texas at Arlington as part of the Special Archive Collection "Montfort, Sawtelle, And Gilbert Families Papers."

Sources:

Photo: Juanita Montgomery Gilbert

Get articles like this in your inbox.Subscribe to City News.

Tagged as: