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About Rolfe, Iowa, in 1976: “Smile (click) — the future awaits” (Part IV of IV)

March 24, 2013
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This 1976 Des Moines Register column by Chuck Offenburger describes the 37-years-ago Rolfe, Iowa, take-a-picture-of-(almost)-every-Rolfe-resident project. Obviously I’m extra fond of the project since my mom was the “Marion the Librarian” quoted in the article. ( Click on the article to enlarge it/the text.)

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This post is similar to the Part II and III posts. This post includes even more clippings from around the country.

Clippings about what? About Rolfe’s 1976 photograph-everybody-in-town project. (Who woulda thunk the Christian Science Monitor would have picked up the story?!)

Bittersweet is the adjective here. Bitter (or wistfully reminiscent): so many of those 1976 Rolfe residents have since passed away. Sweet: the photos are at the library and help us refresh our memories and honor those 1976 residents of Rolfe.

If you haven’t looked at Part I, Part II and Part III, I hope you will. Part I tells about the overall 1976 project. Part II, and Part III (as well as this post) include clippings and notes from around the country about the 1976 project. News of the project spread like wildfire across the United States once the Associated Press picked up the story.

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To Read these FUN Clippings …

1) Click on any thumbnail below [or in Part II and Part III] to enlarge it and to see the images in slide show view.

2) To enlarge further, once in slide show view, click on “View Full Size” at the lower right of your screen. (If nothing happens when you click on “View Full Size,” you might need to scroll down a little on your monitor so that “View Full Size” is two or three inches above the bottom of your monitor.)

3) To enlarge even more, hover the mouse over the image to see a “+” sign. When you see that plus sign, click on the image and it will magnify even further.

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Posted in Iowa, Marion Gunderson, Rolfe | 2 Comments »

About Rolfe, Iowa, in 1976: “Smile (click) — the future awaits” (Part III)

February 23, 2013

In the January 30 post I included an explanation about the Rolfe Public Library’s 1976 project. That was the year of our country’s bicentennial. During that special year, over 1,000 photos were taken of Rolfe-area residents.

In the February 19 post:

A) I said, “That project was featured in a  1976 Des Moines Register column by Chuck Offenburger. The AP wire picked up Chuck’s article. The result was … drum roll … national recognition for the little town of Rolfe’s photo project.”

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B) I included five pages of several clippings, etc. from around the country about Rolfe’s 1976 photo project.

The remainder of the articles, clippings and notes from around the United States are below and in the next post.

To Read the Those FUN Clippings …

1) Click on any thumbnail below to enlarge it and to see the images in slide show view.

2) To enlarge further, once in slide show view, click on “View Full Size” at the lower right of your screen. (If nothing happens when you click on “View Full Size,” you might need to scroll down a little on your monitor so that “View Full Size” is two or three inches above the bottom of your monitor.)

3) To enlarge even more, hover the mouse over the image to see a “+” sign. When you see that plus sign, click on the image and it will magnify even further.

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Remember … more clippings are included in the February 19 post. More will be included in the next post. And, the original article that started all the hubbub is in the January 30 post.

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Iowa, Marion Gunderson, Rolfe, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

About Rolfe, Iowa, in 1976: “Smile (click) — the future awaits” (Part II)

February 19, 2013

In the January 30 post I included an explanation about the Rolfe Public Library’s 1976 project where over 1,000 photos were taken of Rolfe-area residents. That project was featured in a  1976 Des Moines Register column by Chuck Offenburger. The AP wire picked up Chuck’s article. The result was … drum roll … national recognition for the little town of Rolfe’s photo project.

Those articles, clippings and notes from around the United States are below and in the next two posts. They are so FUN to read!

To Read the Those Clippings …

Click on any thumbnail below to enlarge it and to see the images in slide show view.

To enlarge further, once in slide show view, click on “View Full Size” at the lower right of your screen. (If nothing happens when you click on “View Full Size,” you might need to scroll down a little on your monitor so that “View Full Size” is two or three inches above the bottom of your monitor.)

To enlarge even more, hover the mouse over the image to see a “+” sign. When you see that plus sign, click on the image and it will magnify even further.

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Iowa, Marion Gunderson, Rolfe | Leave a Comment »

About Rolfe, Iowa, in 1976: “Smile (click) — the future awaits” (Part I)

January 30, 2013

SHORTER STORY: This blog post refers to photo albums from 1976 that are permanently located at the Rolfe Public Library. In those albums are photos of approximately 1,100 Rolfe-area residents who were photographed in 1976.

If you don’t want to read the “Longer Story,” just click here to view the 1976 Des Moines Register article* that tells about the photo project and acclaimed national attention. And … check back to read how a variety of newspapers across the country reacted.

More importantly, please stop by the library and look at these 1976 Rolfe albums. Also feel free to peruse similar albums of photos taken decades earlier by Rolfe’s Charles (Charlie) Webb.

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LONGER STORY: In 1976, during the bicentennial of our United States, Mother (Marion Gunderson) photographed** approximately 1,100 residents living in or near the community of Rolfe, Iowa. The article below speaks for itself. Except … what it does not indicate are two things I consider to be important.

Mother and Daddy (Marion and Deane Gunderson) in 1976, the year of the bicentennial and photo project. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Mother and Daddy (Marion and Deane Gunderson) in 1976, the year of the bicentennial and Rolfe photo project. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

1) Mother was modest. She avoided calling attention to herself unless it would help further a good cause, for example having to do with community or patriotism. Her agreeing to the interview for this newspaper article (below) and other interviews was one such case. (Another exception was providing her watercolors via exhibits and offering them as gifts, etc., for others to learn from and enjoy.)

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2) This article (below) does not reflect the vastness of publicity the 1976 Rolfe project received from media around the nation. Over the next several days, I’ll include some of those newspaper clippings. You just HAVE to check back to see those clippings. They ooze of warm fuzzies re: Rolfe.

What happened was this: The article (below) was put out on the AP teletype wire. It was then picked up by newspapers ranging from New York to California, Minnesota to Mississippi, and beyond. Not only that, it was picked up by radio and television stations, for example, a TV station in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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…… Please check back each day or every-other day for some of the compliment-filled articles and notes mailed from around the country to the Rolfe Public Library. They are overflowing with enthusiasm for the story from “our” little town of Rolfe, Iowa. Until tomorrow ……

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From the November 4, 1976, Des Moines Register. That year Mother was the age I am now. (Click on photo once to magnify text.)

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*The article was written by Chuck Offenburger. Dan Offenburger, Chuck’s brother, taught and coached at Rolfe.

**Some photos were contributed by other people.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

 

Posted in Iowa, Marion Gunderson, Rolfe | 2 Comments »

1956: The Race (that was lost) Against Taxes

June 30, 2012

In response to my last post, my oldest sister Clara commented, “I’m surprised Mother’s [1956] journal didn’t contain an entry for the reception Mother and Daddy hosted for Gov. Hoegh at our house in April or early May. Daddy was an advisor for Gov. Hoegh’s unsuccessful re-election campaign. Pam [Jordan] and I were allowed to wear hose and  heels (generally reserved for eighth grade graduation) for the first time because we helped collect plates and glasses from people attending the reception.”

Clara’s comments prompted me to include in this post:

  • a photo and two articles regarding my dad’s (Deane Gunderson) involvement with Iowa Governor Leo Hoegh’s campaign in 1956,
  • more of my mom’s journal entries* from 1956, and
  • a February 1981 audio clip of my dad describing some of his involvement in the Republican party.

In the articles, notice 1956’s 2 1/2 % sales tax in Iowa compared to today’s 6% (and in some Iowa areas 7%).

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1956. Publication: Unknown. (Click on image once or twice to enlarge.)

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The following are more of my mom’s 1956 journal entries:

1956. Publication: Unknown. (Click on image once or twice to enlarge.)

Apr. 9: Oleriches over in P.M. to pick names for Hoegh coffee.

Apr. 16: Ike vetoed Farm Bill.

April 18: Entertained at coffee for Governor Hoegh. Very successful. To Cattle Feeders banquet and to Webbs’ after.

Sept. 17: Hoegh talked to Deane with Proposition. Art Ass’n met here. (Deane later accepted job as campaign manager for Gov. Hoegh.)

Sept. 18: Deane to Des Moines for dinner and meeting with Hoegh.

Sept. 25: Deane to D.M. for Hoegh.

Oct. 9: Deane in Des Moines for $100 a plate dinner.

Oct. 12: [Marion and Deane] Still in D.M. Met Emily Haverkamp and she recorded for Radio for the Gov.

Oct. 4: Oleriches over in P.M. to discuss Governor’s being behind and the dissention with ___. [Since I don’t know if this is a local person or not, I am not including the name here.]

Oct. 17: John Christian Gunderson (Deane’s father) passed away at the age of  67, of Cerebral Thrombosis.

Oct. 19: Continued busy with friends, etc. Flowers (glads and bronze mums) from Gov. Hoegh.

Oct. 30: To Hoegh coffee at Bette Brinkman’s and Lois Hodoway helped.

Nov. 1: Gave program on Politics at Sorosis at Darlene Brinkman’s. To Olerichs’ in P.M. — They planning Garfield Twp. campaign tactics.

Nov. 2: I gave talks at “Coffees for Leo” at Hazel Streit and Maude Mather.

Nov. 4: Quite rainy Sunday. Deane out on Every Member Canvas.

Nov. 5: Gave talk at “Coffee for Leo” at Betty Kloster’s.

Nov. 6: Eisenhower – Nixon re-elected. Hoegh lost. Hickenlooper and Erbe won. Doliver lost. To Olerichs’ to watch returns with Percy VanAlstine, Bob Franken and Bill Shannon.

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*Other 1956 journal entries were included in the most recent post which also included images of Mother’s watercolors painted in 1956 and the Rolfe school’s 1956 yearbook.

BTW, tomorrow, July 1, 2012, marks two years since my dad passed away. Here’s to you, Daddy!

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Deane Gunderson, Journal entries, Marion Gunderson | 3 Comments »

1956: Marion Gunderson’s Watercolors and Rolfe, Iowa, School Yearbook

June 22, 2012

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This photo was taken on my* first birthday, which was in 1956. We are in the basement of the new house that we started moving into on Jan. 23, 1956. Clockwise, starting at the left, is oldest-sister Clara, Mother, Peggy (partially obscured, sitting on the couch), Charles (helping to open my gift), me (partially obscured), Helen (in dark clothing), and Marti (back to camera). I assume my dad took this photo. With us six children under foot, I wonder how Mother EVER had time to paint! I imagine my dad being supportive was a very important factor. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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In the gallery of thumbnail images in this post are images of nine watercolors by Mother (Marion Gunderson). Eight were definitely painted in 1956; I believe the ninth (Holy Family**) was, as well. In Mother’s 1956 journal***, there are twelve or thirteen dates for which she has entries indicating she painted on those dates.

Also in the gallery below are images of the 1956 yearbook of the Rolfe, Iowa, school district. Links to other Rolfe yearbooks are in the “Categories” column at this blog’s homepage. More yearbooks will be added periodically.

If you are wondering why it is a big deal to me to include Mother’s watercolors, a lot of it has to do with profits from prints of the watercolors being donated to the Rolfe Public Library. So far over $4,000 has been donated, much of it going to this project. If you have questions about the prints, you may contact me at mariongundersonart@gmail.com. You may also ask at the library or at Wild Faces Gallery (where the prints are made) in Rolfe. (BTW, for the library and for purchasers, everyone comes out better financially if prints are purchased in person — when possible — as opposed to online.)

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Making the Thumbnail Images Larger

1) To see the thumbnail images in slideshow view, click on one of the images. Then navigate forward or backward through the images.

2) To magnify the images even more, once in slideshow view, click on the “Permalink” or “View Full Size” hyperlink.

3) After clicking on the “Permalink”  or “View Full Size” hyperlink, if you want to enlarge further, hover your mouse cursor over the image. As you move the cursor over the image, if you see a moving “+” sign, it means you can enlarge the image even further by clicking on it. (A “-” sign means you can’t enlarge it further.)

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*Louise Gunderson Shimon  (youngest daughter of Marion)

**Holy Family — see December 1 entry toward the bottom of this post.

****Prints are available.

*** Entries from Mother’s 1956 journal include:

Jan. 2: 1st meal in basement [of new house]

Jan 16: Louise started on Pablum.

Jan. 23: Started moving to new house.

Jan. 30: Clara’s first high heels — for school concert and then 8th grade graduation. Art Ass’n meeting at Lena Vaughn’s in afternoon.

Feb. 6: Johnson Bros. of Ruthven started moving old house.

Feb. 9: Rolfe band had thrill of a concert with Rafael Mendez, trumpeter. Clara wore formal for the first time.

Feb. 20: Deane sold 25 cattle.

Feb. 22: Deane to Sioux City with 19 cattle brought 19¢ a lb.

Mar. 1: Johnny Zeman started working for us.

Mar. 5: Painted with Art Ass’n at Maud Herrick’s. [Does anyone know how I might contact Maud — if still living — or Maud’s family? I believe Mother gave or sold a painting to Maud. If so, I’d like to try to track down an image of it.]

Mar. 6: Painted horse picture.

Mar. 20: Dial telephones installed.

Mar. 25: Louise baptized. She behaved perfectly.

Mar. 30: Oat seeding started.

May 18: Deane to W’loo [Waterloo] to get 70D J.D. tractor that he is to run on experimental basis.

June 18: I painted with art ass’n at Lena Vaughn’s. [In this link’s photo, Lena is “Lena Wiegman.”]

July 10:  Oat combining started.

July 23: I painted Lenox bird picture this afternoon.

July 30: Painted with Art Ass’n at Agnes Neal’s.

Sept. 12: I painted picture of a Bull.

Sept. 24: John Young [2011 photo] took over Bill Brinkman’s Standard Service Station.

Sept. 27: Art Ass’n met here.

Sept. 21: I painted zinnia picture.

Oct. 18: Painted Sculptured Head with ass’n at Myrtle Sabo’s.

October 29: Painted with Art Ass’n at Bertha Van Alstine’s barn in Gilmore — did corn picture.

Nov. 10 and 11: John Deere pheasant hunters here and Evelyn Jirsa [wife of Emil Jirsa]. Poorest hunting yet.

Nov. 19: Sorosis [women’s book review/social club] at Lucerne’s [Hunter, I assume]. Marie  [Hauck?] reviewed Virgil Hancher’s travel diary. [Virgil Hancher graduated in Rolfe’s class of 1914. Before July 2013 I’ll post the 1913 Rolfe yearbook which includes several photos of Virgil.]

Nov. 21: Report cards. _____ had F in deportment. [May or may not be a family member.]

**Dec. 1: Busy — worked on Christmas picture for living room. [I believe this is the Holy Family painting, where Mother also used a cutwork technique. I have one of her paintings of a young woman where she used a similar dark wash and the same cutwork technique to create the outlines. My painting is dated 1958.)

Dec. 10: Painted with Art. Ass’n at F. Beneke’s.

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Photo collection sources may be furnished upon request.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in 1950s, Iowa, Marion Gunderson, Rolfe, Yearbook | 4 Comments »

1954: Marion Gunderson’s Watercolors and Rolfe, Iowa, School Yearbook

May 13, 2012

In the gallery of thumbnail images in this post are images of 12 watercolors painted in 1954 by Mother (Marion Gunderson). In Mother’s 1954 journal, there are 23 dates for which she has entries indicating she painted on those dates.

Also in the gallery below are images of the 1954 yearbook of the Rolfe, Iowa, school district. Links to other Rolfe yearbooks are in the “Categories” column at this blog’s homepage. More yearbooks will be added periodically.

If you have photos and/or video that relate to Rolfe’s history (in general, or Main Street, agriculture, rural life, the schools, including D.M.T., etc.), and you’d like me to share them at this blog, feel free to contact me. My email address is mariongundersonart@gmail.com. Even snapshots like this photo below!

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SUMMER 1954 — SLUMBER PARTY TIME! L to R: Judy Wagner (Larson), Pam Jordan (Wolfe), Rachel Heald (Perry) and Clara Gunderson (Hoover). This photo was taken about a year before I (Louise) was born, and about two years before my family moved into a new house at almost the same exact location. The car is a 1953 Oldsmobile. These girls are included in the sixth-grade class photos on pages 18 and 19 of the 1954 Rolfe yearbook (below).  (Click on image to enlarge.)

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Making the Thumbnail Images Larger

1) To see the thumbnail images in slideshow view, click on one of the images. Then navigate forward or backward through the images.

2) To magnify the images even more, once in slideshow view, click on the “Permalink” button.

3) After clicking on the “Permalink” button, if you want to enlarge further, hover your mouse cursor over the image. As you move the cursor over the image, if you see a moving “+” sign, it means you can enlarge the image even further by clicking on it. (A “-” sign means you can’t enlarge it further.)

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*An asterisk after any watercolor title indicates that prints are available of that particular watercolor. The profits from the prints go to the Rolfe Public Library where Mother worked for 35 years.

To learn more about availability of prints, you may contact me (Louise Shimon) at mariongundersonart@gmail.com.  You may also look and order online at www.mariongundersonart.ecrater.com. However, the library and you would benefit more dollar-wise if you ordered directly through me or purchased via the Rolfe Public Library or Wild Faces Gallery in Rolfe. The largest selection/inventory is available through me.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in 1950s, Iowa, Marion Gunderson, Rolfe | 1 Comment »

Should prints be made of “Doll” watercolor?

April 15, 2012

This Doll watercolor by Mother (Marion Gunderson) is on short-term loan to me. Before I return it to its owners* in two weeks, I need to determine if prints will be made.

Taking Pre-Orders

Since I don’t have a good read on how well prints will sell, and to help defray printing expenses, I’m taking pre-orders. In a pre-order situation, payments go directly to printing expenses. If no pre-orders, no prints will be made.

IF prints are made, for any purchases of Doll prints beyond the pre-orders, payments will go directly to the Rolfe Public Library [Trust] where Mother worked  for 35 years. So far $4,100 has been given to the library as a result of the prints.

A larger image is at the bottom of this post.

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Deadline for pre-orders:

Sunday, April 22

Pricing** and Approximate Sizes: 

Medium: 10″ W x 13.5″ H = $25

Grand: 16.5″ W x 22″ H = $50

Largest: ~18″ W x ~24″ H = $70

Contact Information for Pre-ordering and/or for Asking Questions:

Louise Gunderson Shimon
515-465-2746
mariongundersonart@gmail.com

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Clicking on the Doll image will enlarge it slightly.

*The owners are Bill and Jackie Hutchinson. Bill was the Rolfe school superintendent while I was in high school. My mom and dad had very high regard for Bill and Jackie.

**Shipping is additional. I oftentimes deliver.

Additional images/prints of watercolors by Mother may be seen at www.mariongundersonart.ecrater.com.

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Marion Gunderson | Leave a Comment »

1951: Marion Gunderson’s Watercolors and Rolfe, Iowa, School Yearbook

January 26, 2012

This post includes the 1951 Rolfe, Iowa, school yearbook. It also includes images of four watercolors painted in 1951 by Mother (Marion Gunderson). Lastly, it includes a 1952 photo of my five siblings. Hanging on the wall in the photo’s background is one of Mother’s 1951 watercolors.

If you don’t care about the watercolors or family photo and just want to see the yearbook, scroll down quite far and you’ll see the yearbook images. Clara is on the third-grade page. On the last five pages of the yearbook, notice the names of the sponsoring businesses. Out of those 52 businesses, I believe only one or two still exist under the same name. Also, I didn’t know that the  McIntire Funeral Home was also an ambulance service!

If you do care about the watercolors, information about availability of prints is available at the end of this post.*

Click here for one or more 1940s Rolfe school yearbook(s).

Click here for one or more 1960s Rolfe school yearbook(s).

To enlarge any image, click on it once (or twice to enlarge it even more).

UPDATE: I just realized that the yearbook images cannot be enlarged as much as in previous postings. (By clicking on the yearbook images, they can be enlarged to several inches wide by several inches high. But they can’t be enlarged as much as previously possible.)  I’m checking to see if I’ve set something wrong or if there are limitations.

UPDATE #2: I just found out that there’s nothing I can do about my concern expressed in the Update immediately above. If you want to see any of the images larger on your monitor, let me know and maybe I could email a few to  you or add them one-at-a-time to another post or some other work-around. mariongundersonart@gmail.com

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What does this photo have to do with the year 1951? The main thing is that hanging on the wall is the "Railway Station and Grain Elevator" watercolor (shown immediately below) of Gilmore City, Iowa, painted in 1951 by Mother (Marion Gunderson). I assume the photo was actually taken in 1952, since the baby in the photo is my sister Peggy; she was born in late 1951, the same year Mother painted the Gilmore City watercolor. L to R: My siblings Clara, Charles, Helen, Peggy and Marti. I was not yet born. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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"Railway Station and Grain Elevator" at Gilmore City, Iowa, watercolor painted in 1951 by Marion A. Gunderson. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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"Depot" Rolfe, Iowa, watercolor painted in 1951 by Marion A. Gunderson. (Click photo to enlarge.)

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"Baby's Shoes" watercolor painted in 1951 by Marion A. Gunderson. (Prints are not available but possibly could be if there is interest.)

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"ISU Heating Plant" Ames, Iowa, watercolor painted in 1951 by Marion A. Gunderson. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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1951 Rolfe, Iowa, School Yearbook

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*A partial inventory of prints of 30 of Mother’s watercolors is available at the Rolfe Public Library and Wild Faces Gallery, both in Rolfe, Iowa. Prints may also be purchased online as well as directly from me (Louise). mariongundersonart@gmail.com

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in 1950s, Marion Gunderson, Rolfe, Yearbook | 2 Comments »

Art Education — Part II

October 5, 2011

Written by Clara Gunderson Hoover

(To view Part I, also written by Clara, click here.)

Clara in 1966 with a painting she created. (Click on image to enlarge.)

I was in 4-H for nine years.  The focus changed every year: food and nutrition, clothing, and home furnishings, and then the cycle repeated.  The home furnishings year included a picture study.  In 1952/53, I scored 70% in the picture study contest.  In 1955/56 I gave a picture study on Pileated Woodpecker, by John James Audubon, participated in the picture study contest and wrote that my favorite picture was The Dancers (painting and artist unknown to me now).  My  4-H Record Book contains a certificate for having participated in the 1959 Picture Memory Contest.  Clippings in my Record Book report the Garfield Gleaners visiting art museums in Cherokee and Des Moines. In addition, I wrote that my favorite paintings were Blue Boy (Thomas Gainsborough) and Pinkie (Thomas Lawrence).  I have no idea if they were part of that year’s picture study but recall seeing them at the Huntington Art Gallery in San Marino, California, when we went to the 1959 Rose Bowl.  One year we studied Grant Wood’s Stone City.  What a treat to see the original at the Joslyn Art Museum after my husband and I moved to Omaha.  I believe Grandpa’s (John Gunderson) favorite, The Horse Fair, by Rosa Bonheur, was also one of the 4-H paintings.

For many years, the Rolfe Public Library had a collection of art reproductions people could check out to display in their homes.  Mother took us to the Blanden Art Museum in Fort Dodge.  She exhibited there and participated in some of the museum’s activities.  Later Mother attended art exhibits in cities throughout the country, sometimes with Rolfe friends and other times with her life-long friend, Betty Dix Kirley.  During a 1991 trip to Minneapolis, Mother, Betty Dix and I visited the Walker Art Gallery and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

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On the left side of this 1953 Rolfe Arrow page is a write-up about one of the art exhibits in which Mother (Marion Gunderson) participated. (Click once or twice to magnify the image/text.)

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Mother had taken classes from Richard Leet, then director of the MacNider Art Museum in Mason City.  During summer 1967, my husband and I lived in Charles City, so I drove the 30 miles to Mason City to take painting lessons from Richard Leet.  I learned the importance of white in paintings.  In summer 1973, I was required to take two courses to obtain a Nebraska teaching certificate.  I chose an art history course and absolutely loved it.

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Pictured here is Mother's framed print of Flower Vendor by Diego Rivera. If you click on this image, you'll see Mother's handwriting explaining that this painting was her lasting favorite and why. Her note is not dated.

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Throughout her life, Mother introduced us to art and artists, including Christian Petersen, the Iowa State sculptor who had been one of her instructors at Iowa State; Diego Rivera, whose The Flower Vendor was one of Mother’s all-time favorites; Dale Chihuly and his colorful blown glass sculptures (even at the Joslyn in Omaha); and R.C. Gorman, whose Su-Sho-Ba hung above the dining table in our farm house for as long as I can remember.  How thrilled I was to suddenly see Picasso’s powerful Guernica at the top of the stairs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  What fun to see real Calder mobiles in downtown Chicago and at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.  One of my most memorable art experiences with Mother was in spring 1988 when we met in Chicago to see the huge, retrospective exhibit of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago.  O’Keeffe had long been one of Mother’s favorite artists.  When I discovered the O’Keeffe exhibit was going to be in Chicago, I called Mother to ask if she’d like to meet me there.  The paintings were truly amazing.

Indeed, although I had no art classes in grades K-12, we had many opportunities to learn about art (at least art appreciation, if not production) in a variety of ways and from several people.  It’s been fun to recall those experiences.

Thanks to my siblings for sharing their recollections.  Thank you, also, to Penny Tilden, Rolfe Public Library librarian, and Lola DeWall, Pocahontas Public Library librarian, for their research.

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

Posted in Marion Gunderson | 5 Comments »

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