later credited as the strongest influence on the development of her art. In 1916, O'Keeffe's friend Anita Politzer showed some of these abstract drawings to photographer Alfred Stieglitz, who exhibited them at his avant garde gallery 291, on Fifth Avenue in New York. He exclaimed, "At last, a woman on paper!" and told Anita the drawings were the "purest, finest, sincerest things that had entered 291 in a long while.". He explained that he would like to show them. O'Keeffe had first visited 291 in 1908, and later on several occasions, but had never talked with Stieglitz, although she had high regard for his opinions as a critic, "I believe I would rather have Stieglitz like something...anything I had done...than anyone else I know of...". In April Stieglitz exhibited 10 of her drawings, and she had not been consulted before the exhibit and only learned about it through an acquaintance. She confronted Stieglitz for the first time over the drawings and later agreeing to let them hang in his gallery. Needing a job, and missing the wide, flat spaces of northern Texas, Georgia accepted a teaching job at West Texas State Normal College in the fall of 1916. While in Texas she would often make trips to the nearby Palo Duro Canyon, hiking down the steep slopes to observe the sandstone formations. At least 50 watercolors were painted during the time spent in Canyon, Texas. "It was all so far away...there was quiet and an untouched feel to the country and I could work as I pleased." Georgia's first solo show opened at the 291 gallery in April 1917. Most of the exhibit had been these watercolors from Texas. After the show Stieglitz decided to close 291 due to financial difficulties but said, "Well I'm through...but I have given the world a woman." During the winter Georgia became ill with a flu that was sweeping the country. She took a leave of absence from the teaching job and later resigned. It's possible that there was pressure...
