Gwen Frostic
A lifelong resident of Michigan, Frostic is known for her naturalist, Linocut block print artwork, created using Original Heidelberg Platten presses.
[3] Although precocious and already walking, at 8 months old, Frostic suffered a high fever from an unknown illness which then left her with lifelong symptoms similar to cerebral palsy.
[3] Frostic went on to study art education at Eastern Michigan University, where she joined the Alpha Sigma Tau[5] sorority and earned her teacher's certificate.
[3] During World War II, Frostic worked full-time, six days a week, as a tool and die draftsperson in the Willow Run bomber plant of Ford Motor Company where she became skilled in production.
In the early 1950s, she shifted her attention farther North and opened up a summer shop selling her prints, books, and other items in the historic tourist town of Frankfort on Lake Michigan.
She conceived of a number of naturalistic and artistic elements including large stone boulders and a natural spring flowing inside the structure and an area with a green sod roof.
[8] Her artwork frequently depicted the natural world surrounding her shop: trees, plants, birds, mushrooms, flowers, berries, and animals.
[3] Much earlier, in 1960, Frostic was rumored to be a millionaire from her business, but as she lived a simple, modest life, this was unconfirmed until the public announcement that she had left $13 million to her alma mater, Western Michigan University.
[9] The Michigan Reading Association presents the Gwen Frostic Award to notable authors and illustrators who have impacted fostering literacy.
[19][17] While given as an unrestricted bequest, the funds have primarily been used for scholarships for students, and for the benefit of the arts and creative writing departments in particular, in respect of her lifelong pursuits.
[20] In 2021,[6] her hillside studio and personal residence, "which embodies her passion for nature" that was centered in Northern Michigan, was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
