Joan Wheeler

Joan Wheeler Ankrum, born Joan Natalia Wheeler on January 8, 1913, in Palo Alto, California, was an American actress who made her mark on both stage and screen during the 1930s before transitioning to a profoundly influential career in the art world. She began her professional journey in the theater, studying and performing at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse, where she honed her craft in various productions. During her time there, she appeared in Broadway productions such as Growing Pains (1933) as Prudence, Strangers at Home (1934) as Jean Crosby, and Western Waters (1937) as Penelope, establishing herself as a capable stage performer. It was at the Playhouse that she met fellow actor Morris Ankrum, whom she married on August 16, 1935, in Benbow, California, and with whom she had two sons, David and Cary. Her film career, though relatively brief spanning from 1933 to 1937, saw her appear in several notable Hollywood productions. She demonstrated her versatility in roles ranging from Florette in Madame Du Barry to Barbara "Babs" in Desirable, Lucille Frink in The Merry Frinks, Mrs. Bonnie Durham in Smarty, and Marge the receptionist in Twenty Million Sweethearts.

Following her retirement from acting in 1937, Ankrum embarked on a new chapter that would cement her legacy in the Los Angeles cultural landscape for decades to come. In 1960, she founded the Ankrum Gallery on La Cienega Boulevard, with initial funding from collector Joseph Hirshhorn, creating one of the most significant and largest art spaces in the city at that time. The gallery initially opened to showcase the work of her nephew Morris Broderson, but quickly expanded its mission to represent other important California artists. It gained particular renown for being among the first galleries to prominently exhibit the work of Black artists, including Helen Lundeberg, Richard Bauer, Hans Burkhard, Suzanne Jackson, Samella Lewis, and Lorser Feitelson. A pioneering figure in the art community, she co-founded the Art Dealers Association of America and maintained active membership in the Black Arts Council, institutions that helped shape the commercial art landscape. She also played a crucial role in organizing the influential Monday Night Art Walk program on La Cienega Boulevard, which became a cornerstone of the local art scene. After the death of her first husband Morris in 1964, she married actor William Challee in 1984, who was also a co-owner and partner in the Ankrum Gallery, remaining with him until his death in 1989. Ankrum continued to operate her gallery and advocate for artists until her passing on December 20, 2001, at the age of 88 in Los Angeles, leaving behind a remarkable dual legacy in both entertainment and the visual arts.