Marilee Shapiro Asher

Marilee Shapiro Asher (November 17, 1912 – September 11, 2020) was an American sculptor, author and survivor of both the Spanish Flu and COVID-19.

Early life

Asher was born on November 17, 1912 in Chicago, the daughter of Bonnie Harris.[1][2] She contracted the Spanish Flu when she was six.[3] She started studying sculpture in 1936.[4]

Career

Asher had her first solo exhibition at American University in 1947.[1][5] She exhibited at Smart Museum, Vassar College, Franz Bader Gallery, Washington Studio School, Studio Gallery, the Cosmos Club and Warehouse Gallery.[6] In the early 2000s, when looking for a less physical form of art, she studied digital art at the Corcoran School of Art and started doing digital photography.[7] In 2010, her photography was displayed at the Iona Guest Show when she was a visiting artist.[8]

Her work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian and the Baltimore Museum of Art.[7] In 2019 she was on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour discussing how she maintains her productive life at the age of 106.[9] She wrote an autobiography entitled Dancing in the Wonder of 102 Years.[9][10]

Personal life and death

Asher was married twice: first to Bernard Shapiro in 1943, and later to Robert Asher in 1993.[4] She had a son and a daughter.[4]

In April 2020, Asher went into the hospital with COVID-19. She spent five days in the hospital, before recovering and returning to the Chevy Chase House, where she lived.[7] She died on September 11, 2020, at age 107.[4]

References
  1. Starling/ABC7, Alison (2019-04-12). "Working Woman: 106 years old, a sculptor turned photographer, and still going strong". WJLA. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  2. "102-Year-Old D.C. Artist Embraces A Century Of 'Dancing In The Wonder'". WAMU. 2015-07-24. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  3. "She survived the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and COVID-19. What is this 107-year-old's secret?". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  4. Harris, Ben (September 30, 2020). "Marilee Shapiro Asher, artist who survived global pandemics a century apart, dies at 107". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  5. "103 Year Old Sculptor Marilee Shapiro Asher". Sculpture Digest. 2015-11-20. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  6. "gallery plan b". www.galleryplanb.com. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  7. Harris, Ben. "She survived 1918 Spanish flu and COVID-19. What's this 107-year-old's secret?". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  8. "Iona" (pdf). May 7, 2020.
  9. "Dancing in the Wonder – Ralph Nader Radio Hour". Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  10. "Meet Marilee and Mabel, two working women over age 100". Women in the World. 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
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