Edith R. Wyle was born in San Francisco on April 21, 1918, the
daughter of Louis and Rose Robinson. Both of her parents were muscians until her father,
Louis, became a dentist and moved the family to Los Angeles, California when Edith was a
child. 
Growing up in Los Angeles at a time when the arts and crafts
were taught and encouraged in all the public schools, from grade school to college,
Edith developed a strong love of painting, which she pursued in her studies at the
University of California at Los Angeles (1937 - 39) and the University of California
at Berkeley (1939-41). In addition to her college studies, Edith Wyle also attended
the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles, CA, during her summer vacations.
In 1942, at the age of 24, she married Frank S. Wyle, who
established Wyle Laboratories, a testing laboratory in the aerospace and nuclear fields
and a distributor of electronic components. While raising their three children, Edith
continued to paint and to develop her interest in crafts and folk arts.
During the 1950's in Los Angeles, Edith Wyle continued her art
education by attending the Kahn Art School (1950-52), the Finch-Warshaw Art School
(1952-54) and shared a studio with Rico Lebrun, an artist who was well known for his
portrayal of the epic dramas of the Crucifixion and Buchenwald. Lebrun's
influence is seen in her costumed owl series, a few examples of which are shown here
in this gallery.
Wyle exhibited her work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in
three of the museum's annual juried exhibitions for Los Angeles artists in 1954, '55, and
'56. Her work was documented in the catalogues accompanying these exhibitions. She
also participated in a group show in Malibu, CA, in 1955 and in other exhibitions from
time to time. Her artworks are in numerous private collections.
During the 1960's, in search of her own true interests, which lay in the realm
of food, crafts and folk art, she conceived of and opened an innovative restaurant and
folk art gallery called The Egg and the Eye. Located on Wilshire Blvd. in Los
Angeles, The Egg and The Eye immediately became fashionable with
both the arts and business crowd, as its mezzanine restaurant served 54 kinds of omelets
in a very elegant setting and the gallery and shop had exotic folk arts and crafts
from around the world.
In 1973 the Egg and the Eye metamorphosed into the non-profit Craft and Folk
Art Museum. Edith Wyle carefully selected the name to reflect both contemporary
crafts, which were shown on the gallery, and folk arts made by indigenous populations in a
traditional way.
In 1976, Edith Wyle created the Festival of Masks, designed to celebrate the
diverse ethnic heritage of the city. This colorful festival proved to be so popular
that it has become a biennial event in Los Angeles.
Currently, the Crafts and Folk Art Museum is under the administration of the City of Los
Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.
Edith Wyle's odyssey in the arts shows how love for the arts can be shown in
many ways--not only by one's own artworks but also by creating environments of art--such
as museums and festivals for people to find surprises, awareness and enjoyment.
Edith's children and grandchildren have all inherited her love of the arts. The
most popularly known of them is her grandson, the actor Noah Wyle of television fame.
Please note that none of Edith Wyle's artworks shown on this website
are for sale.
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