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Courtland Art Guild Members To be featured by Arts Council

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The Courtland Arts Council needs your help for their upcoming art show in September. The Arts Council will be hosting a show featuring "Original Works of the Courtland Art Guild." They would like to have pieces to display for the show from artists that were members of the Courtland Art Guild. Maybe you are the artist or maybe a son, daughter or brother or maybe just a friend that has a great piece done by a Courtland Art Guild member; please share!

The Courtland Art Guild was organized in 1958 with 11 members. Charter members were: Elsie Moore, Dorothy Johnson, Sarah Robb, Eva Johnson, Iva Lindblad, Gladys Smies, Frances Ramsey, Gloria Nondorf, Marion Walker, and Carol Stanton Johnson.

During the 30 years of organization, others that have belonged to the Art Guild were: Alma Olson, Lillian Moser, Grace Russell, Kathleen Garman, Donna Marr, Lindel Barry, Janet Cunningham, Maudie Sothers, Violet Morehead, Jilia Bland, Jessie Strnad, Emma Stenson, Ines Clark, Debra Kussman, and Verneal Douglas. The Art Guild held exhibits in a farm house west of Courtland belonging to Rudolph (Toodle) Johnson. We cleaned and scrubbed and painted the walls. We also pumped the well for 20 minutes, by hand, so the water would test safe for drinking after not being used for several years. We took turns mowing the lawn after the original raking and cleanup. Then one big project was collecting signs and painting them and then putting them up along the highway, with some help from husbands. At this time Highway 36 went past the Farm house Studio.

We invited various artists to exhibit their work. The first 'Open House' was May 24, 1958. The featured artist was Eva Gilchrist, President of the San Diego Art Guild, and mother of Marion Walker. She had 25 paintings shown. At the same time works of Clyde Watson, son-in-law of Lawrence and Blanche Nystrom and instructor of art in the Manhattan High School were shown and also pottery of Paul and Lillian Bates, Assaria, Kansas, was on display. At later dates we had Animal Portraits by Ron Boles of Caldwell, Idaho. Photographs by Wilbur Hess, Salina, Kansas. We also had weavings by Allune Kelly of Jewell, paintings by Dewayne Thomas, and sculpture by Harry Marty. Arden Nelson Toftoy, sister of Marvin, Chester and Rusty Nelson displayed a large number of paintings at our Farm House Studio. Over 600 visitors viewed the art works the first summer.

The Farm House Studio continued summer exhibits for several years with invited artists and also continuing work of the members of the Guild.

In 1961 Dorothy Johnson designed special stationery for the Kansas Centennial Celebration and the Art Guild and various businesses sold it. They also decorated a float for the 1961 Courtland Centennial parade. Members rode on the float wearing artist smocks and berets and Alma Olson posed sitting in an antique rocker.

The Art Guild has an exhibit, of only members work, every year during Courtland Fun Day. At one exhibit we had 550 people view the 80 paintings that were assembled. Our rule is that each painting exhibited must have been done in the year past.



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© 2009 The Courtland Journal Courtland, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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