Which artist and educator strongly influenced Georgia O'Keeffe's shift toward abstraction?

Arthur Wesley Dow strongly influenced Georgia O'Keeffe's shift toward abstraction.

O'Keeffe studied with Dow at Teachers College, Columbia University, in 1914 and 1915. Dow taught that art could be organized through elements such as line, color, and tone, rather than being limited to literal representation. This approach gave O'Keeffe a framework for expressing ideas and feelings through simplified forms.

After studying with Dow, O'Keeffe created a series of bold charcoal drawings in 1915. These works were among the earliest wholly abstract pieces produced by an American artist and were later shown to Alfred Stieglitz.

Dow did not teach O'Keeffe to copy a particular style. His importance lay in the principles of composition and the encouragement of personal expression. Robert Henri and William Merritt Chase were also significant figures in her training, but they were not the main influence identified with this transition.