Mary Coleman Allen
1888-1974
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Mary Jane Hayner had two very talented nieces. Both Mary Coleman Allen and her sister Katharine Allen Cowgill were accomplished painters. Mary went on to become a well-known portrait artist. The Troy-Hayner Cultural Center is proud to display a collection her works including her miniature portraits and oil on canvas paintings. The Center displays several of Katharine's paintings as well.
Mary Coleman Allen was born in Troy, Ohio on August 9, 1888. She studied with Duveneck in Cincinnati, and in New York City at the School of Applied Design for Women and the ASL. She was a member of the California Society of Miniature Painters. In 1923 she became the director of the Stickney School of Art in Pasadena. Her paintings have been exhibited in many venues around the country and the world including New York & London. The Brooklyn Museum of Art has added one of her miniatures to their display. Allen was best known for her miniatures and portraits. She painted portraits of several prominent Troy men, including A. G. Stouder, Troy industrialist and benefactor of the Stouder Memorial Hospital. She also did considerable work for the Hobart Brothers. One of the finest was the medallion of C. C. Hobart that hangs in the foyer of Hobart Arena. Inspired by the life work of this Troy graduate, The Mary Coleman Allen Academy of Art is established to continue her legacy by encouraging creativity and art exploration within our community today.
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