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Clare
Haas Howard
1920 - 1991
Clare Haas Howard, born in Ontario, Canada, grew up in
Gibbon, Nebraska and moved to Omaha after high school. In the late
1930s/early 1940s, she was involved on and off stage at the Omaha Community
Playhouse, then at 40th and Davenport. In 1942, she married Ted Haas, News
Director for KOIL Radio, and thereafter attended a year at Duschene College and a year at the University of Iowa
as an art major.
By 1950, Clare, by then a single parent, established a
home at 1513 Park Avenue, across from Hanscom
Park, with her daughter Vicki and mother, known as Peachie,
where many cocktail parties, jam sessions, costume parties, work shops and
dinners were held over the next dozen years. During the mid-1950s, Ron
Carlson and Joe Grazziano were part of the
household as well.
Clare taught ballroom dancing with Bob Riggs at the YWCA
and Omaha Athletic Club. She designed and made costumes for others as well
as herself -- always "over the top". She brought people together,
partnering the unsure with those with creative assurance so that all had a
great time.
Isabella Threlkheld offered
that a reason for the Beaux Arts Ball having such full participation was
that Clare would host small cocktail parties in her home a few weeks or a
month before the ball. And there, she would pass out masks and feathers,
sequins, glitter, and other materials. One might have arrived reserved and
adamant they would not go to the Ball in costume, but once they had created
a mask, they were ready to party in character.
She opened her home to musicians for jam sessions on
their night off - somehow making it herself the next morning to her day job
as a legal secretary for Joel Cornish.
Clare designed and made her own Christmas cards and
invitations, as well as for others, although she probably would not have
referred to herself as a graphic designer. She also designed advertising
pieces.
Clare worked as an artist in oil, pencil, ink, tempra, silk screening and print making. Her last art
work was an ink wash pineapple still life tryptich
which she did in 1962.
Clare did advertising modeling as well as life modeling
for classes at the Joslyn and in artists'
studios.
As a member of Associated Artists of Omaha (AAO), Clare
worked hard as publicity chair for Beaux Arts Week and the Beaux Arts Ball
a number of times, and served as President of the Association as well. She
was recognized for her contributions over the years with an early
"Elmer" Award, named for Omaha Artist Elmer Greunig.
The award later took on an official design and was cast in bronze. But
Clare's Elmer is a ceramic sculpture. Unfortunately, the designer is
unknown.
It's unclear just whose idea it was to start having the
Beaux Arts Ball . . . but there are photos from Clare's year at the University
of Iowa in 1945 in costume for their Beaux Arts Ball. Whether it was
Clare's idea or not for AAO to host the Ball, she was involved in it for
many years - and could always be counted on to have a striking and award
winning costume. Her costumes usually started with a bra, crotch cover of
some sort (sometimes felt), and embellished with rhinestones, sequins,
glitter, or feathers.
After Clare died in January 1991, Ree
Schonlau, then Executive Director of The Bemis
Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, honored Clare by naming the Bemis'
new art library in her honor. The Clare Haas Howard Art Library can be
visited by the public while borrowing privileges are reserved for the
visiting resident artists.
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As an artist, Clare generally worked in oil, tempra, pen and ink, silk screen, and prints. A few
samples are shown here.
  
Clare
designed and created holiday cards, party invites and marketing pieces as Clarecraft Cards for herself and others.
  
Clare's
creativity was even more evident in her costumes - which she designed and
made for others, but her own were always exceptional. Give her a bra and
some beads and she was ready to party!.
  
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