Isabelle Bowen Henderson

Isabelle Bowen Henderson (March 23, 1899 – May 19, 1969) was an American portraitist and floriculturist. She taught art classes at various schools and at North Carolina State College and Wake Forest College. Specializing in crayon and oil paintings, she was commissioned to paint portraits of prominent figures including Frank Porter Graham and I. Beverly Lake Sr. She later helped establish the North Carolina Museum of Art. Henderson was a renowned gardener and received awards from the National Society of State Garden Clubs and the National Horticulture Society for her hybridization of the iris and hemerocallis.

Her home, the Isabelle Bowen Henderson House and Gardens in Raleigh, North Carolina, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Early life and education Henderson was born Isabelle Bowen on March 23, 1899, in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Arthur Finn Bowen, the business manager of North Carolina State College, and Isabelle Woodward Bowen, a member of an old Wilmington family.

She was educated in Raleigh public schools before attending Peace College, where she graduated in 1919.

Career Art From 1919 to 1921, Henderson taught art at the Centennial School in Raleigh.

She was a member of the North Carolina Art Society and assisted in establishing the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Gardening Henderson's home in Raleigh became famous for her garden, which included a collection of iris and hemerocallis. Shortly after moving into the house, they separated. Henderson added three outbuildings to her residence to create a quadrangle, including an herb house and a two-car garage.