Before becoming widely known as a painter, Georgia O'Keeffe worked as an art teacher. Teaching supported her financially and gave her opportunities to develop her ideas about design and abstraction.
She taught in several places, including schools in Texas, South Carolina, and Virginia. In 1916, she accepted a position at West Texas State Normal College in Canyon, where she later became head of the art department. Her teaching career continued while her drawings and paintings began attracting attention in New York.
O'Keeffe's own education was shaped by influential teachers. At the University of Virginia's summer sessions, Alon Bement introduced her to the principles of Arthur Wesley Dow. Dow encouraged students to organize line, color, and form expressively instead of simply copying nature.
Her work as a teacher should not be mistaken for a brief unrelated job. It was a substantial part of her early adult career. The experience also connected her with students and institutions at a time when professional opportunities for women artists were limited.