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Marianne Strengell

Marianne Strengell

Marianne Strengell was born in Helsinki, Finland, on May 24, 1909. She studied textiles at the Central School of Industrial Art in Helsinki, graduating in 1929. In 1937 Strengell was invited to the United States to teach weaving and textile design at Cranbrook Academy of Art and later succeeded Loja Saarinene as head of the department, a position which she maintained for more than 20 years (1942-1961). During her time at Cranbrook, starting in the 1950s, Strengell was also a consultant with the U.S. government on developments in the textile industry. She also collaborated with many prominent architects and designers, including: Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Raymond Loewy, and Russel Wright, while her work in industry was for companies like General Motors and Fieldcrest, Inc. Her work is included in the collections of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others. Strengell died on May 9, 1998. She received the American Craft Council Gold Medal in 1993.