Catherine Hinkle

Catherine Louise Hinkle was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, on 20 January 1926. She studied at Kalamazoo College for two years before continuing her education at the Institute of Design in Chicago (formerly known as the New Bauhaus) in 1945. While she was a student, she focused on painting, but she also created photomontages, typographic designs and sculptures. In 1949 she completed her studies in visual design. Hinkle subsequently showed her works at regional and national exhibitions. The February 1956 issue of “Art in America” presented her as a promising young artist. From 1951 to 1968, she additionally worked for a publishing house as a graphic designer and produced book covers. In the mid-1950s, she married the artist Richard Koppe, her former teacher at the Institute of Design. After marrying, Hinkle increasingly provided support for the career of her husband and organised exhibitions and publications for him. Her own artistic work receded into the background. Following Koppe’s death in March 1973, Hinkle moved back to her family in Michigan. There she catalogued her husband’s artistic estate. Catherine Hinkle died in Kalamazoo on 1 February 1974.