Silberger, Manuel G., 1898-1968.

Manuel G. Silberger (1898-1968) was a Cleveland, Ohio, artist of Hungarian-Jewish descent. At an early age Silberger moved with his family from his birthplace in Slavic-speaking Bokovic, Hungary, to the village of Bonfalva in Borsodo, Hungary. He attended high school and received his first art training in the nearby town of Miskolz. Silberger's immediate family immigrated to Cleveland in May 1921 and in August of that year, following his escape from the Hungarian army, he joined them. While working during the day, Silberger attended art classes at John Huntington Polytechnic Institute at night. Among his teachers there were members of the Cleveland School of Art faculty including Henry G. Keller and Paul B. Travis. He later worked for more than 30 years at the Morgan Lithograph Company on Payne Avenue, and served in the United States Army. Silberger created artworks in a number of media including lithography, etching, and oil paintings. Some of his works were created under the auspices of the WPA Federal Art Project. His subject matter was quite varied and included portraits, Cleveland and country scenes, and workers. Among the group exhibitions that Silberger's work appeared in were the following: International Exhibition of Lithography and Wood Engraving (Art Institute of Chicago), 1935/1936-1939/1940; Paintings and Prints by Cleveland Artists (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City), 1937; the May Show of the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1935-1938, 1941, 1942, 1944, and 1952, and the Jewish Community Center of Cleveland group show, 1956/1957, and 1957/1958. A number of his entries in these exhibitions were award-winners. Silberger was also a founding member of the editorial board of Crossroad, a short-lived journal of arts and ideas which began publication in Cleveland in 1939.

Manuel G. Silberger was a Cleveland, Ohio, artist of Hungarian Jewish descent. Silberger grew up and was educated in Hungary, and emigrated to Cleveland in 1921. He attended evening art classes at John Huntington Polytechnic Institute, and later worked for more than 30 years at the Morgan Lithograph Company on Payne Ave. in Cleveland. Silberger created artworks in a number of media; including lithography, etching, and oil paintings. Some of his works were created under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. His work included portraits, Cleveland and country scenes, and workers. He was a founding member of the editorial board of Crossroad, a short-lived arts and ideas journal published in Cleveland beginning in 1939.