b. 1859 d. 1931
Site Affiliation: Historic Westwood (Adelia Armstrong Lutz House & Studio)
Lutz was born Ann Adelia Armstrong at the home of her maternal grandparents in Jefferson County, Tennessee in 1859. Lutz always had a natural talent for art and in her youth, she was known to doodle in her schoolbooks and paint flowers on the cover of her books. She often dramatized poems and her favorite novels by creating illustrations to go along with the readings. She also had a strong artistic kinship with her father, who was an amateur artist.
In 1885 at the age of 26, Adelia studied at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. After her return from her studies, Adelia married John Edwin Lutz in February 1886 and spent the next two years teaching art lessons in painting, drawing, and embroidery.
Lutz spent her lifetime committed to the local art community, serving as the president of the Nicholson Art League in 1903-1904 and remaining an active member until her death. She also frequently wrote on the subject of art for local newspapers and gave lectures on art and culture for local civic and literary clubs.
Primary Medium: Painting
Primary Stylistic Term: Realism, Figurative
Fun Fact: Adelia exhibited two paintings at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.