Roberta Dickinson (1916-1982) was born in Richmond, Indiana. She received her B.Arch. degree from the University of Southern California. As an architect she trained partly under Frank Lloyd Wright. Much of her life was spent in California, relocating to Philadelphia to follow her architectural career, but gradually turned her attention increasingly to watercolor painting, which she taught at Drexel University. She joined the Society of Friends and served in Civilian Public Service as a member of Central Philadelphia (Pa.) Monthly Meeting. She supported the peace testimony through organized war tax resistance and participated in Quaker protest vigils and other nonviolent actions, for which she was arrested in 1971 and 1972. In 1976 Roberta completed gender affirmation surgery and legally changed her name.

These four artworks by Roberta Dickinson, in the Singer collection of the Permanent Art Collection, document her gender transition through self portraiture, and are some of the earliest artworks documenting a transgender artist’s experience of her own transition.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1950. I studied graphic design and illustration in Cape Town, and worked in studios and advertising agencies before changing course and working as a make-up artist for television, stage and print. I moved to New York in 1982 and worked there until 2004, when I enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and moved to Philadelphia. Since then I've exhibited my work locally and am currently represented by F.A.N. Gallery. I would describe my style as painterly realism, and I tend to work on a small scale to invite close scrutiny and an intimate connection. Whether the image is a portrait or a cityscape, I'm interested in the effect of light - or its absence - and try to make it work on an abstract level as well as a representational one.

Growing up in South Africa I enjoyed being part of the thriving Queer community in the larger cities. I've always been fortunate to work in situations where my sexuality wasn't an issue, and have what I believe to be a good balance of both gay and straight friends and colleagues. It was wonderful being accepted so readily as a couple by the younger students when my partner (now my husband) and I enrolled in art school.