A Pioneer of American Muralism: The Life and Art of Violet Oakley Violet Oakley, born in Bergen Heights, New Jersey, in 1874, emerged as a pivotal figure in the landscape of early 20th-century American art. Descended from a distinguished lineage of artists – both her grandfathers were members of the National Academy of Design – she was immersed in an artistic environment from birth. This familial legacy provided a strong foundation for her own burgeoning talent, nurtured through formal studies at the Art Students League of New York under James Carroll Beckwith and Irving R. Wiles, followed b…