Exhibition from March 21, 2014 through May 30, 2014. Violet Oakley was one of Drexel’s first students in the field of illustration and one of its most successful. With her training and drive Oakley broke into the predominantly male world of illustration and mural painting, with commissions that were many and varied.

Violet Oakley was one of Drexel’s first students in the field of illustration and one of its most successful. With her training and drive Oakley broke into the predominantly male world of illustration and mural painting, with commissions that were many and varied.

Oakley was the first female artist to be awarded a mural commission for a public building and she was the second female professor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She was a believer in world peace, participating in many international peace committees at her own expense. Throughout her life, Oakley would maintain her moral and spiritual beliefs, translating them into her art to inspire and educate future generations. This exhibition featured 24 pieces by Oakley exploring the different areas she worked in including studies of stained glass, murals, altarpieces, portraits and magazine covers.