Verna Mary Wulfekammer, 1900-1994
“Verna Mary Wulfekammer’s contribution to the growth of the art education program at the University of Missouri spanned the four decades between 1928 and 1968. A University of Missouri professor of art, she taught and refined course work in artcraft, bookbinding, basketry, handwork, and supervision of student teaching begun by her mentor, Ella Victoria Dobbs, during the early part of the twentieth century. Wulfekammer was responsible for training two generations of Missouri art teachers. In addition to her longstanding contribution to art education, Wulfekammer was also responsible for the advancement of the weaving program at the university begun by Dobbs in 1927. During Wulfekammer’s tenure at the university, her teaching, publications, and work on state education committees exerted considerable influence on art education throughout the state of Missouri.”–Full Bio At The State Historical Society of Missouri
The State Historical Society of Missouri, located on the University of Missouri campus, houses the Verna Mary Wulfekammer collection. The collection contains correspondence, teaching notes, speeches, lesson plans, books, pamphlets, journals, commercial publications, work by Wulfekammer’s students, artifacts, weaving drafts and examples, scrapbooks, architectural drawings, clippings, photographs, publications, and miscellaneous material relative to the University of Missouri teaching careers of both Wulfekammer and her mentor, Ella Victoria Dobbs. The contents of the collection are documented at The State Historical Society of Missouri.
Thanks to a generous donation by long-time guild member Verna Wulfekammer, the Verna Wulfekammer Memorial Trust was set up to provide support for fiber-related educational activities for the benefit of guild members and other artists.
Individual grants are awarded competitively to active members of the guild. Current Guild officers and Trustees are not eligible for individual grants during their tenure. Applicants must state in writing how they hope to benefit from the grant and how they will share these benefits with the Guild. Grantees are required to submit a financial report stating their accomplishments as a result of the grant and include an accurate accounting of expenditures.
The purpose of the Verna Wulfekammer Memorial Trust is to support fiber related educational activities for the benefit of members of the Columbia Weavers and Spinners guild and other fiber artists. The trust is administered as equitably as possible to all members of the guild toward the goal of developing their talents as artists. The trust supports requests from individuals and groups. Group requests must be for a purpose that will promote the appreciation of fiber arts or further the fiber arts education of the groups’ members by providing funding for workshops, library materials, equipment purchases or other means that will enable the group to further their goals as fiber artists. Individuals may apply to the trust for an individual grant to participate in a trust funded group request activity (i.e. a trust funded workshop).
Current guild officers and Trustees are not eligible for individual grants during their tenure. Trust funds may not be used for any political purposes. The trustees are not compensated for their work in administering the trust.
Verna Wulfekammer Loom
This small loom once belonging to Verna Wulfekammer is now part of the guild’s collection thanks to a generous donor.
Applications
Grant applications to the Verna Wulfekammer Memorial Trust can be submitted by the 21st of EACH MONTH. Applications will be reviewed following the 21st of the month they are received and applicants notified accordingly.
Applicants must make three copies of their request and send one copy to each Trustee in order to complete the application process. Only official forms may be used. Trust application forms can be found below. Physical copies can be obtained at monthly guild meetings at Bethel Baptist Church. Applicants are notified of the Trustees’ recommendations by the 15th day of the month following the deadline.
Forms
For individuals
Wulfekammer Individual Application Instructions
Wulfekammer Individual Application
For groups
Wulfekammer Group Application Instructions
Wulfekammer Memorial Fund Trustees
Jenny Sennott, Secretary (2021-2024)
Debbie Prost, Treasurer (2023-2025)
Open, Member
Verna Wulfekammer, associate professor of Art at MU and also in charge of art education in the College of Education, bequeathed the Columbia Weavers and Spinners’ Guild one-third of her estate to establish a trust to pay for scholarships and other guild activities. Wulfekammer died in 1994. She had been a guild member for 47 years. This photo was published in the Columbia Missourian on Nov. 10, 1968