Introduced to art and theatre at a young age, Walt KUHN (born October 27, 1880, New York, New York—died July 13, 1949, White Plains, New York) sold his first drawings to a magazine at age 15. In 1899, Kuhn became enamored with ideas of the American West and set out for California. After arriving in San Fransisco, Kuhn became a cartoonist for WASP magazine. Two years later, the young artist traveled to the Royal Academy in Munich where he studied under the Barbizan painter Heinrich von Zugel. He returned to New York in 1903 and immersed himself in the booming art scene. In 1905 he held his first exhibition at the Salmagundi Club, establishing himself as both a cartoonist and a serious painter. That same year, he also submitted his first illustrations to LIFE magazine.
In 1909, he spent the year preparing for his first one-man exhibition for the Madison Gallery in New York. The show proved to be a huge success, and soon after Kuhn took part in establishing the Association of American Painters and Sculptors - the organization responsible for the landmark Armory Show of 1913. As executive secretary, Kuhn was responsible for finding artists to participate in the exhibition. The Armory Show, which displayed both European and American modern art to New York audiences for the first time, proved to be a huge "success from scandal." Following the exhibition, Kuhn continued to explore new ways for artists to break barriers.