Westport Permanent Art Collection Publication

WaH Paintings ~ Selections from the CoHection

JOHN STEUART CURRY JOHN STEUART CURRY STUDY FOR JOHN STEUART CURRY
TRAGEDY, 1934 Fresco 180 x 96 TRAGEDY, 1934 Crayon on Paper 27'/, x 18 COMEDY, 1934 Fresco 180 x 96

Because of Westport's un iq ue history as an some wal l paintings are more successful than
artists' community, the tow n is unusually others in presenting a coherent, well-balanced
rich in wall paintings . The environment of design that uses the vast surface of an entire
artistic development that attracted artists to the wa ll effectively. The artists who painted the
community, stimulated the pu blic of Westport murals in W estport w ere aware of the particular
as well, creating general sensitivity to the c hallenges wall paintings presented, and stud-
important role of art in one's surroundings. The ied traditiona l techniques for creating them.
wa ll paintings in Westport's art collection exem-
plify the town's interest in seeing that daily lives In successfu l murals, th e artist chooses particu -
were enriched by art, and reflect the traditional lar compositions, colors, subject matter and the
role of wall paintings th roughout art history. execution technique to suit the function and
quality of the space that is being painted . The
Wall paintings become part of the architectural painting's normal viewing distance, the sur-
setting they are in and natural ly assume as rounding architectural detail , as well as the
prominent a role in one's daily life as the door source and amount of light present are all
th at is opened and shut each day. Unlike important factors in the artist's calculation. The
smaller paintings in frames that can be moved wall painting's chief goa l is to red uce the
from place to place, wa ll and ceiling painti ngs impression of confinement by "opening up" th e
have some very special qualities that disti nguish wall, either with imaginary views of life outside
both how they are made and th eir effectiveness. the room, or by creating the illusion of richer
Throughout art history and even among the arch itectural detail that c reates an impression of
work of the most famous fi gures, we fi nd that greater space within the room.

46

Landscapes, seascapes 1930s, murals were

and other imaginary used throughout the

vistas have been country to tell the

frequent means to story o ( the nation's

accomplish this end interests and national

throughout history, efforts at economic

along w ith scenes g ro wth .

from daily life, The execution tech-

parti cular ceremonies nique most frequent-

o r important events. ly used was o il on

These scenes are canvas, painted in

genera ll y intended to the artist's studio and

present a pleasant then w hen fini shed,

and inviting world or glued to the wall for

partic ularl y inspira- w hich it was paint-

tional subjects. From ed. Some art ists pre-

the earliest times we ferred the poster

find this formul a at paint-qua lity of tem-

work in the grazing pera paint applied

animals and hunting d irectl y to the wall

scenes in cave paint- because of its ve l-

ings; scenes from dai ly vety, matte, some-

li fe and special w hat c halky appear-

ceremonies in Anc ient ance. Painted

Egyptian tomb paint- JOHN STEUART CURRY ALAS POOR YORICK, 1934 directl y on the wall,
ings; and scenes of
Crayon on Paper 34 x 24 '11 the paint took on a

urban living and ru stic subtle, but nevertheless more intimate, relatio n-

vista s in Anc ient Roman murals. The same fun - ship with the architecture.

damental characteristics are later found in the

religio us narrati ves depicted in early Christian, Few artists were drawn to attempting the tradi-

M edieval and Romanesque murals and in the tional, but difficult, fresco technique in w hich

sometim es elaborate scenes of dai ly life and pure pigments are painted onto the surface of a

religio us preoccupation in Renaissance and wet plaster. In drying, the lime of the pl aster

Baroque mu ra ls. encapsulates the pigments in its formation of

In early eighteenth-century America, the trad i- crystals, creating a robu st and luminous paint
ti on was picked up aga in w ith pleasant scenes layer. This technique also heightens the union
of the America n landscape, and in the second of the imagery and the architecture, thus making
half of the century by borrowing the European the painting an integral pa rt of its environment.

Baroque trad iti on of elaborate decorati ve orn a- This tradition of painting on walls was

mentation to render interiors more richly ornate. embraced by the arti sts in Westport and the

This tendency continued into the earl y years of town ow ns several w onderful examples of suc-

the twentieth centu ry in America. By the 1920s cessfull y designed and executed wa ll paintings:

the use of wa ll painti ng to give thoughtful signif- In 1934 John Steuart Curry pa inted two frescos
icance and artistic disti nction to an architectural in the auditori um of King's Highway Schoo l.
environment had again become popu lar. In the

47

The frescos entitled Tragedy and Comedy flank to create the illusion of a secret, natural grotto
the stage of the auditorium with exuberant, near the sea. Pass ing through the foyer, one is
swirling scenes in which Broadway and transported to the enchanted place in the arti st's
Hollywood actors and actresses of the 1920s and imagination. Creating a fountain in the middle
1930s are depicted. When viewers enter the of the stairwel Is, the artist Iit the scene wi th a
empty, quiet auditorium, all the excitement and chandelier he made of fl ying seagul ls and sat the
pleasure of stage and screen entertainment scu lpture of a chi ld at the edge of the fountain.
dances before them and the life and purpose of He surrounded the fountain with stair ra ilings
the room make themselves felt. fash ioned to look like reeds and grasses and
painted a fresco overhead of a bright blue sky
Robert Lambdin's Pageant of juvenile Literature en livened by fl ying seagul ls.
(see WPA Art- Selections from the Collection,
page 41) painted in 1938 for the entrance foyer The foyer is sti ll a foyer with stairs leading to
of the Saugatuck Elementary School, greeted the th e classrooms-but the environment has been
students as they entered the school each day transformed into a dreamlike memory of the
with an insp iring crowd of familiar figures from li ght, sound and shapes of nature. Whi le the
literature. Painted in oil paint on canvas glued frescoed cei ling is only one component of the
to the wall, well -known fi gures such as Richard artist's creation, its connection with the archi-
the Lion Hearted, the Queen of Hearts, Pandora tecture and environment makes it a good exam-
and Florence Nightingale fi ll the wal l w ith other ple of Westport's fine mural collection.
inspiring figures who, together, promise knowl- Recently restored to fulfill Thew's vision, the lit-
edge and wonderment in reading. The figures tle foyer is perhaps one of Westport's greatest
of Christopher Robin looking at the crowd, and treasures in its commitment lo a complete envi-
the young Abraham Lincoln quietly reading a ronment and in the artistic imagination it pre-
book provide the viewer wi th an immediacy serves .
that brings the point of the painting and a ten-
derness for the figures depicted, into the heart Christiana Cunningham-Adams
of the viewer.
Conservator, U. 5. Capitol, Washington, O.C.

In 1934 Robert Garret Thew created a multime-
dia ensemble (see WPA Art-Selections from
the Collection page 42) around the double stair-
case in the original Green's Farms School foyer

ROBERT LAMBDI N Top section of PAGEANT OF JUVENILE LITERATURE
48

STEVAN OOHANOS THE AMERICAN HERITAGE, 1953 Casein Mural
112 x 146 (G. W. Adams, File Photo)

I ittle information is ava ilable about the mural These fo ur presidents were originally chosen by
L The American Heritage. Stevan Dohanos, Borglu m because he believed they represented
the founding, grow th, development and preser-
national ly know n ill ustrator and a Westport vation of our nation- the four corn erston es of
resident whose children attended Coleytown this country. A wh imsica l prairie dog ponders
Elementary School, painted the mural as his gift the scene from the mural's lower left corner-a
to the school when it was built in 1953. gentle, humorous reminder from Dohanos, th at
Dohanos fi rst announced that he wou ld paint he painted this mu ral for the young children
three murals depicting scenes typica l of who attended Coleytown Elementary School.
America's background : The Liberty Bell, the
American Flag and American Indians. He At first the painting w as thought to be unsigned
completed on ly The American Heritage. by the arti st. Further research prior to its restora-
tion in 1999 indicated that Dohanos had signed
In its foreground, Dohanos painted a you ng boy it in the lower left hand corner but the area had
mounted on a Palomino horse, stand ing atop a been overpainted several times w hen repairs
bluff, looking into the future. A fo rest of tall were made to the wa ll. The overpainted area
pines leads the viewer's eye to Gutzon has been restored and Dohanos' signature is
Borglum's ca rvings of George Washington, now cl early visible.
Thomas Jefferson , Theodore Roosevelt and
Abraham Lincoln as they appear at the Mount
Rushmore Nation al Memorial in Black Hills,
South Dakota.

49

The Ford Times Collection

ARTHUR BARBOUR FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT'S ANCESTRAL
HOME, Hyde Park, NY Transparent Watercolor 21 x 29 'h.

AL ALBREKTSON FIREWORKS DISPLAY
Bristol , R.I. Watercolor, 201!: x 13'/,

In May 1966 the Ford Motor Company, repre- Stevan Dohanos, Al Parker, Jon Whitcomb,
sented by Clarence H . Dykeman, editor-in- Austin Briggs, Peter Heick, Harold von Schmidt,
chief, presented fifty watercolor paintings origi- Robert Fawcett and john Atherton. When
nally used in its company publication, Ford Atherton died, he was replaced by George
Times, to the Westport Schools Permanent Art Giusti. Five of these men lived in Westport and
Co llection. the others lived nearby. In additi on, dozens of
artists-talented illustrators, some very good
They were given in honor of the late Albert C. professionals, but not household names-partic-
Dorne, founder of the Famous Artists School, in ipated as members of the FAS faculty, helping
tribute to his great interest in the Westport with the instruction and working continuall y to
schools art program. The subjects of the paint- update the courses and design new ones.
ings incl ude seasons, industry, community,
schools, holidays, people and sports. The artists The first Famous Artists headquarters were
and painting subjects represent 28 states and located in the O ld Sasco Mill building, 1869
Canada. Post Road East. The company quickly expa nd-
ed and moved to a vacant build ing on W ilton
In 1947 the Famous Artists School (FAS) was Road and then built its own headquarters,
established in Westport, bringing new life and which are now occupied by the Save the
new young blood to mix with the alread y estab- Children Foundation. After the sudden death of
lished art community. FAS was the brainchild Al Dorne in 1965, FAS was grea tly reduced in
of Albert Dorne, who was an extraordinary size. Today the school ex ists as Cortina-
combination of entrepreneur, artist, dreamer Famous Schools with headquarters in Wilton,
and doer. Connecticut.

The Twelve Famous Artists who were the nucle- Mollie Donovan
us of the enterpri se were Al Dorne, founder;
Fred Ludekens, Norman Rockwell, Ben Stahl ,

50

Cartoons andl Comic Strips ~
Selections from the Collection

A merican comics are said to have started in derless ship: it goes nowhere. That goes for all
1896, w ith the publication of the first news- cartoons. The remaini ng ten percent-the

paper strip "The Yellow Kid," in the New York drawing-determines w hether the artist is an

Journal. Comic books became popu lar in the average cartoon ist or an exceptional cartoonist.

1930s and many of their super-heroes such as The drawings in the Westport Schools
"Batman" and "Superman" began about that time. Permanent Art Collection truly are some of the

I don't think of ca rtoons just as entertainment very best in the entire world of cartooning. The
alone. Cartoons, like the best novels, paintings, famo us comic strips, the New Yorker cartoons

p lays and movies are personal works that express and covers, and the wonderfu l editorial illustra-

an idea and help I ·.,,,..,.,.... -=--""""".....,...,__..-. tions are world -
us to see the class drawings.
human condition 'BDER]' ~· The book ill ustra-

more clearly. By "' tions of Hardie

exaggeration and Gramatky, Robert

distortion, they Lawson, Hans

remind us how W ihelm and Eric

important it is to Gurney are recog-

play, be si lly and r nized classics.
I am totally awed
Ilaugh at ourselves.
and proud of all
Over the years

cartoonists have these talented men

recorded the look, MEL CASSON BOOMER,1977 Sunday Comic Strip 9'h x 17 'h and women, past
the manners, the and present, many

political cli mate and mora ls of the passing of whom lived and worked in our town.

scene-and it's interesting to imagine how ou r Westport is a unique place-a sma ll town brim-
human character and shifting social scene wi ll ming with so much talent. Famous cartoonists
be perceived by cartoonists in the years to are ou r neighbors, they are part of our heritage,
come. th e part that keeps us smiling.

The idea is ninety percent of the cartoon. Mel Casson
Without a good idea the drawi ng is like a rud-
Founder, WSPAC Cartoon Collection

Our Cartoon Collection, wh ich inc ludes works by artists such as Charles Schu lz, Al Capp, Whitney
Darrow and Otto Soglow, as w ell as drawings by many of the other cartoonists who lived and
worked in Westport, is especially indebted to Mel Casson. It is through his contacts with the artists
that these cartoons and com ic strips have been added to the collecti on and are being enjoyed by
our school chi ldren and the general public.
WSPAC Committee

51

CURT SWAN SUPERMAN, Cartoon 11'/, x 81/1 111 .. '

~ Iii ,.,.,,..'7: "

•I ~'T DRINK AA' I OONTGAB .. .so WHY
CAN'T I START EATIN'?•

HANK KETCHAM DENNIS THE MENACE,
Comic Strip 8 Y, x 7'!..

ERIC CURNEY THE DOC SHOW, Cartoon 16 ~ x 27 '/.
52

DEAN YOUNG BLONDIE, Sunday Cornie Strip 12'h x 16 \!.

DIK BROWNE HAGAR THE H O RRIBLE, 1976 Sunday Cornie Strip 12 x 16
53

ALICE HARVEY RAMSEY "Dear Fellow Cloi>e
Trotter...this is an invitation to join our ational
Travel Club," New Yorker Cartoon
Charcoal/Pencil 14'/, x 16

RANDY ENOS KATHRYN'S JOKE, 1979 WHITNEY DARROW, JR. MOTHER, Pencil/Charcoal on Paper 14 ~ x 12
2-color Woodcut Cartoon 24'/, x 15 'h

54

HAROLD CRAY ANNIE, Sunday Comic Strip 6 x 20\1.
LEONARD STARR ON STAGE, 1966 Comic Strip 5 % x 177/s

BUD SAGENDORF POPEYE, 1967 Comic Strip SY. x 17 %
AL CAPP LIL' ABNER, 1957 Comic Strip 23 %x 10%

MORT WALKER BEETLE BAILEY, Comic Strip 9 Y. x 14
55

Photographs = Selections from the CoUection

LARRY SILVER JOGGER AT LONGSHORE,
WESTPORT, CT Photograph 16 x 10'/,

In Paris, in August 1839, the French inventor out the world . It was not always like this. For
Louis Jacques Daguerre unveiled his new dis- most of its history, people did not consider pho-
covery : photo images captured and permanent- tography an art form. It is on ly during the past
ly etched on a sh iny copper p late. The art of fifty years that the public has begun to under-
photography was born at th is moment. The fol- stand and appreciate photographs as art.
lowing year, Samuel Morse visited Pari s and
brought Daguerre's invention to the Uni ted Matthew Brady's photographs of the American
States. In the 160 years since its discovery, Civil War have left us the only on-site visua l
photography has changed from its start as a evidence of that event in our country's history.
method to record, to a creative tool in the Alfred Stieglitz championed the fight to recog-
hands of peop le who utiIize th eir own personal nize photography as an art form at the turn of
visions. the century, when he exhibited photographs in
a ga llery env iron ment for the fi rst time . Lewis
Today, both the art commu nity and the public H ines' images of children labori ng in factories
have accepted photography as an art form. in the 1920s gave rise to chi ld labor laws in the
The photograph is collected and exhibited by United States. W. Eugene Smith's series of pho-
museums and galleries and is prom inently dis- tographs of a fishing v illage in Japan resulted in
pl ayed wi th other art forms in homes through- the first environmental law. The Farm Security

56

Administration photographs of the 1930s of an Photographers, who for many years were
America in Depression, and Life magazine's ignored, have just recently come to enjoy the
images of World War II , all brought public title of artist.
attention to photography as the new art form.
A photographer uses the camera, Iight, design
In 1954 the Museum of Modern Art produced and concepts to put an image, fi rst created in
The Family of Man Exhibit curated by Edward his or her mind, down on paper. Whether it is
Steichen. The 503 pictures from 68 countries instantaneous or a preconceived image, the
depicted the oneness of mankind. These artists, photographer uses the tools of lens, fi lm and
using cameras, dedicated their lives to depicting light as the artist uses the canvas, brush and
the life around them. The public began to see paint.
and understand the single image. These pho-
tographers v iewed each scene or situation and The Whitney Museum of Art exhibit-The
photographed it in a way to emphasize an indi- American Century: Art and Culture-a review
vidual point of view. Because a photograph of American A rt of the last one hundred years
captured a moment in time-a moment frozen devoted a large portion of its space to photogra-
for eternity-the public could relate to it. phy, which reinforces its acceptance as a twen-
tieth-century art form.
As times change, photography enables us to
look back and rel ive the past. Photographs Larry Silver
have changed our lives and have given life to Photographer
laws and attitudes that prevail in our society.

The WSPAC Photograph Collection is small, but there are images by some of the best-known
artists-George Silk, Alfred Ei senstaedt, Philippe H alsman and Victor Keppler among them. With
the acceptance of photography as an art form, we plan to enlarge ou r Col lection by acquiring
works by today's professional photographers as well as those by tomorrow's aspiring artists.

WSPAC Committee

BERT STERN BIRO ON HASSELBLAD
Photograph 15 x 15

57

RUSSELL KUHNER JAMES EARLE FRAZER Photograph 13Y, x 1O'h

WILLIAM NOYES CROSSROADS #1, DUFFY SQUARE 1976 Photograph 10%. x 18'/,

58

VICTOR KEPPLER SID CAESAR ANO IMOCENE COCA
Photograph 19'/. x 11 '/.

PHILIPPE HALSMAN
BACK OF MAN VIEWING COUNTRYSIDE, Photograph 23 x 19

59

PHILIP TRAGER DANCERS, Photograph 10 x 15

ALFRED EISENSTAEDT TOWER OF PISA, Photograph 23 x 19 '/..
60

GEORGE CARDOZO
HILLSPOINT SCHOOL
Photograph 16 '!. x 131 / 2

GEORGE SILK
NEFERTITI, Photograph
21 'h x15
61

Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection -
I-Hstory Highlights and Exhibits

1964 Burt Chernow, an art teacher at Green's 1979 Mel Casson, a Westport resident and

Farms School, establishes the Westport Schools nationally known cartoonist, acids a new dimen-
Permanent Arl Collection lo support his philos- sion to the Col lection. He assembles the works
ophy that fine art should be part of the daily of thirty-five cartoon ists and on November 9
envi ronment of every child in Westport. The Celebrity Cartoonists Night opens at Long Lots
preview openi ng of the collection is held at Junior High.
Greens Farms School on September 8.
The exhibit draws an appreciative audience that
1974 The Westport PTA Council, chaired by sits spel Ibound as its favorite characters are
drawn by th eir creators-the twenty-five car-
Dora Stuttman with Shirley Land representing toonists who attended. Bud Sagendorf who
the Cultural Arts Committee, votes lo make the draws " Popeye" is presented with a birthday
Collection its project as Burt Chernow has left cake and a can of spinach in honor of his char-
the school system to become Chairman of the acter's SOth birthday. It is a once-in-a lifetime
Housatonic Community College Art Department. gathering, which results in forty-six cartoons
Eve Potts and Mollie Donovan are appointed co- and comic stri ps being added to the Collection.
curators and Burt becomes official appraiser and
mentor. The Collection is reassembled, restored 1980s It's time for change. It is decided that
and refurbished-and with his usual exuberance,
Burt solicits new works. the Col lection shou ld be curated by a separate
comm ittee. The Westport Schools Permanent Art
In the process of reassembling the Collection, Collection Committee is formed. Representatives
the artworks done under the aegis of the Works are named for each school. For continuity, per-
Progress Administration program are rediscov- sons whose chi ldren have long left the school
ered and added to the Collection. Although system, but w ho were part of the original
some of the artworks are in need of restoration, Cultural Arts Committee, are invited to join.
research shows that the works done during that
era in Westport are among the nation 's best. Under th e chairmansh ip of Carol Randel, Kate
Ordway and Ann Sheffer, the comm ittee looks
1976 The Treasures from the Westport Schools for new ways to incorporate the art co ll ection
into the lives of the school chi ldren.
Permanent Art Collection exhibit opens in the
halls at Bedford Middle School. Henrietta As part of the committee reorganization, perti-
Cholmeley-Jones, who shepherded the town's nent information about each artwork in the
WPA Art Project in the 1930s, is the exhibit's Collection is entered on a data sheet and pho-
honorary chai rman. It is a wonderfu l evening tographs are taken for identification. Key to the
for the arts in Westport and a new beginning for organization of our data notebooks is Smith
the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection. College Art History major, Elisa Jensen.

1977 We are honored to be chosen to exhibit 1985 The Westport Arts Center publishes A

at the General Electric Gallery at the company's Community of Artists, authored by Dorothy and
corporate headquarters in Fairfield, Connecticut, John Tarrant and designed by Howard Munce.
by Gallery Director Stevan Dohanos and Severa l selections from the art collection are
Gallery Coordinator Howard Munce. The included in its color fol io.
Selections from the Westport Schools Permanent
Art Collection exhibit opens on June 19.

62

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During its tenure al Green's Farms School the Honeycutt's advanced computer class. Sixteen •
WAC mounts several important retrospective students each interviews an artist, researching
exhibits featuring the works o f Stevan Dohonos, paintings and background. The fin al result is an
Hardie Gramatky, Paul Rand, Harold van interactive CD that wins the Connecticut
Schmidt w ith his sons Eric and Peter, and the Alliance Art Education Award, the Connecticut
works of the Famous Artist School's fac ulty. Association of Boards of Education Award and
The FAS exhibit is espec iall y memorable- the Distinguished Achievement Award from the
because so many FAS employees turn out to Educational Press Association of America.
honor their former colleagues .
1995 The Westport Art Rescue subcommittee
1990s The WSPAC committee decides to put its
and the Westport Arts Center restore the Garrett
energies into researching the new technologies Thew Founta in Environment at Green's Farms
available. It starts by putting the information School as a joint project. The rededication cele-
now on individual artwork data sheets in note- bration is held on April 23. An exhibit of paint-
books onto a database and assigning an identifi- ings and sculptures by members of the Thew
cation number to each painting and sculpture. family is held in the Visual Arts Room near th e
fountain.
1992 The fate of a mural by WPA artist Robert
Two additional WPA Founders of Connecticut
Lambdin painted for the lobby of Saugatuck medallions turn up in Bedford Middle School's
Elementary School is in jeopardy, as the building basement. They are restored by conservator Linda
is sold to be converted to senior housing. The Merk-Gould and are displayed w ith the others.
Westport WPA Art Rescue subcommittee is formed,
with Judy Gault Sterling as chairman and Lou 1996 The John Steuart Curry Fresco subcom-
Santella as treasurer, to save Pageant ofJuvenile
Literature. More than 500 residents and businesses mittee applies for and receives a Ruegg Grant
contribute money to remove, restore and then for $9,600 from th e Westport Woman's Club to
rehang the painting at the Westport Public Library. restore the Curry Frescos Comedy and Tragedy
The rededication celebration is held on a sunny loca ted on either side of the auditorium stage at
October 4. Kings Highway School. Mrs. Curry, a spry 96,
comes to the Restoration Celebration held on
1993 The Westport Schools Permanent Art O ctober 6 and is del ighted that the frescos are
restored in time for John Curry's 1OOth birthday.
Collection-New Acquisitions and Selections
exhibit opens at Bedford Middle School. The Westport Arts Advisory Committee purchas-
Thirty-two new acquisitions and an additional es a laptop computer which commi ttee member
thirty-two selections from the collection are Joan S. Miller uses to compile the database. The
shown . art collection now has over 450 paintings
w hose location, appra isa l va lue and condi tion
Eleven long-lost WPA medall ions titled the must be tracked. It is our intention to add the
Founders of Connecticut by Eugene Edga r other public collections in town to the
Hannon are discovered in the basement of database in the nea r future.
Bedford Middle School. Restoration is made
possible by a gra nt from the Westport Masonic 1997 A cartoon exhibit, Off the Wall Ca rtoons
Lodge. The medallions are rededicated at
Bedford on November 23. -on the walls of the WAC, curated by Howard
Munce is held at the Westport Art Center and
1994 A CD Rom project, Westport 's Home features selections from our Cartoon Collection .

Town Artists - 1994, is started at Staples by Jim 1998 The Westport Art Center and the WSPAC

•
63

• •

Committee co-sponsor the Westport Artists of committee approaches the mi llennium with •
the Past exhibit at Westport Town Hall. Fifty-six new goals for the collection. Work has begun
paintings from the Collection are shown. on a pilot program utilizing artworks from th e
Collection to enhance the teaching of subjects
Ann Chernow steps in as the Col lection 's men- such as History, Music and Science. Our ulti-
tor, to continue the work begun by mate goa l is to establish an outreach program-
her husband, the late Burt Chernow. to share what we have learned about building
an art collection and how to incorporate its use
1999 Westport Cartoonists, Past and Present into the school curriculum.

opens at the Westport Historical Society on We are honored to be invited to exhibit
January 19 . Twenty-two cartoons from the Selections from our Cartoon Collection in the
Collection are part of the exhibit. gallery at the Duracell Company headquarters
located in Bethel, Connecticut, in October
The restoration of Stevan Dohanos' mural, The 2000.
American Heritage, located in the front office at
Coleytown Elementary School, is completed. A few fina l notes: Over the years, many people
Conservator Christiana Cunningham-Adams is have helped to make the Collection what it is
able to locate and expose the artist's signature today. We wish we could thank them all individ-
and restore the area of the painting that had ually. We acknowledge with thanks the support
been covered with five layers of wall paint. given to our committee by:

The restoration of the eight-panel History of • our Selectmen, from Jacqueline Heneage to
Heat and Fire by WPA arti st Ralph Boyer is today's Diane Farrell
finally completed and the panels are now on
view at our main fire house-where they wi ll • th e RTM Library, Arts & Museum Study
be used as a teaching tool for the hundreds of Committee, chaired by Ann Sheffer, and The
chi ldren who visi t there each year. Funding for Westport Arts Advisory Committee
the restoration and frami ng of these paintings
came from the town's Arts Advisory budget, • the Board of Education and the School
The Westport Young Woman's League, The Sons Superintendents starting with Claire Gold to
of Italy, The Grace Salmon Fund, and The Betty Dr. John Brady who acted as interim superin-
R. Sheffer Foundation. tendent. We look forward to working with our
newly appointed superintendent, Ell iott
As part of the Green's Farms School restoration, Landon, to discover new ways to use the
the Garret Thew Fountain, originall y designed Collection as a learning tool
and bui lt as a WPA project, is put into working
order by Nancy McNerney, Diana Tsimoyianis • the principals and administrative staffs in our
and Mollie Donovan. Rededication will take schools for the day-to-day care they have
place in 2000 when the new school addition is given our artworks
comp leted.
• ou r mentors, Burt and Ann Chernow
We are given seed money by the Westport
Millennium Committee and the Board of • the late Susan Schultz, whose early efforts
Education to publish this catalog featuring the helped preserve the Curry frescoes
Co llection. Burt Chernow's dream will be rea l-
ized. • the artists, estates and collectors who have
donated artworks to the Collection
2000 As this catalog nears completion, the

•
64

• Howard M unce, the designer of this ca ta- mittee, that this was a very special project
log- w ho has acquired pa intings and illustra-
tions for the Co ll ection, and provided histo ri - • the orga nizations w ho have given us grants,
ca l background on our local artists, as well ind ividual donors, and the Westport commu-
as being responsible fo r curating ex hibits and nity that has always supported our effo rts to
framing works w hen needed. bring an art envi ronment into our schools.

• Kenda ll Smith, w ho has been videotaping our O n a personal note: I want to thank the persons
art events to archive for future Westport gen- w ho served on the committee th at made thi s
erat ions book poss ible: our present co-chairs Katie
Chase, Prisci lla Long and Nancy Mc Nerney
• Walt Reed of Il lustration House, Inc. in New w ho succeed a long line of W SPAC Committee
York City and a Westporter w ho grac iously chairpersons who have provided excellent guid-
shares his unlimited know ledge of the illus- ance and leadershi p; Joan M iller and her work
tration world o n o ur database; and our w onderful WSPAC
comm ittee members, w ho have volunteered
• Mel Casson, who founded our cartoon collec- countless hours moving and hanging our art-
tion and conti nues to help it grow w orks in the schools and public bu ildings.
And last but not least, a very special th ank you
• our art and scul pture conserva tors, Chri stiana to Eve Potts w ho co-curated the collection wi th
Cunni ngham-Adams, George Adams and me for 20 years.
Linda Merk-Gould

• The authors o f the introd ucti ons for each of Mollie Donovan
the book's secti ons w ho felt, as did the com-

./,flf,o,,,._,,,. - · ·· - --··-· ••.

AL WILLMOTT SAUGATUCK RAILROAD STATION, 1971 Print 8" X 171h''

65

Westporfs Art Inheritance

In addition to the artworks that hang in • Westport Organized 1835 by Howard Heath
Westport's public schools, there are severa l other loca ted on third fl oor
smaller collection s in other locations in town.
• The WPA Committee by Ralph Boyer loca ted
Westport Town Hall in Selectman 's Conference Room, third floor
The Town Hall Lobby houses the Bicen tennial
Collection. Following the completion of the Selections from the Westport Schools
Bicentennial year in 1976, the Bicentennial Permanent Art Collect ion are on exhibit in the
Committee voted to spend funds raised by the offices throughout Town Ha ll. A special group-
sale of the Bicentennial calendar and by the ing dedicated to Burt Chernow is on displ ay in
Westport Bus Tour for a collection of artwork- the First Sel ectman 's Conference Room.
as a permanent memento of the town's year- Another group of pai ntings and cartoons can be
long Bicentennial celebration. First Selectman viewed at th e Parks and Recreation Bui lding in
Jacqueline Heneage requested th at a jury of five Longshore Park.
artists select the paintings and sculptures.
Westport Public Library
The artworks chosen for this collection are by A large group of black and w hite drawings by
Diane Alexander, Robert Baxter, Ward Brackett, Westport artists is hung in the McManus
Ann Chernow, Walter Einsel, Peter Gish, Hardie M eeting Room at the Westport Public Li brary,
Gramatky, )ak Kovatch, Suzanne Lemieux, Arnold Bernhard Plaza, and paintings donated
Maggie M cKinni ckinnick, Enid Munroe, Barbara by local arti sts are displayed throughout the
Rothenberg, Lucy Sallick, Ann Toulmin-Rothe building. An ex hibit that changes every three
and Harvey Weiss. A sculpture, The Bedford months is hung on the four kiosks in the
Juggler, by Jean Woodham , the Westport Library's Great Hall.
Bicentennial Quilt designed by Na iad Einsel
and the Westport Millennium Quilt, also can be Permanently hung above the library reference
seen in the auditorium lobby. desk area is th e Pageant ofJuvenile Literature
mural by Westport WPA artist Robert Lambdin .
Several WPA mural s and paintings are also Originally painted to fi t around the auditorium
housed at Town Hall, 110 M yrtle Avenue: doors at Saugatuck Elementary School, it was
removed, restored and rehung in the library
• The Illuminated Town Charter and the when Saugatuck School was converted to
Illuminated Town Deed by Edward ). Ades are senior housing in 1992 .
loca ted in the rear entry from the parking lot
Westport Historical Society
• Spirit of Adventure by Robert Lambdin is The Westport Historica l Society, 25 Avery
located in the Town Hall Lobby Place, owns a collection of paintings, drawings
and sculptures by our loca l artists which are
• Map of Green's Farms, Connecticut 7635- displayed periodically.
1935 by Arthur Elder located in th e Town
Clerk's office Westport Arts Center
Unti l permanent new quarters can be found for
• Adminstration of a Modern Community by the Westport Arts Center, art exhibits are being
Howard Heath located on first floor, near the held in the Susan R. Malloy Room at the Nature
Green Room Center and in the Hal l Galleries at Westport
Town Hall.

66

Westport/Weston YMCA Hudson United Bank

Passing the Torch by James Henry Daugherty is Murals by Robert Lambd in ca n be viewed at the
located in the Will iam E. Stone Board Room o n former Westport Bank and Trust (now Hudson
the second fl oor at the Wesport YMCA, 59 Post United Bank- H UB ) 87 Post Road East and at
Road East. its Saugatuck branch bank at 50 Charles Street.

Westport Nature Center Staples High School
for Environmental Activities
In add ition to the artworks displayed throughout
Bears, a large scu lpture by Anna Huntington, Staples High School, 70 North Avenue, a col-
can be seen as you enter th e grounds at 10 lection of art posters designed by Westport stu-
Woodside Lane. Lindsey, a small sculpture by dents for the town-wide art show which has
Laura Gard in Frazer, is located in the Center's been held each year since 1970 can be viewed
herb and wildflower garden. D eer, a WPA oil in the school ca feteria.
painting by Arba Skidmore, is on permanent
loan to th e Center. Al so visit the Susan R. Westport Senior Center
Malloy Room w hich features ongoing art
ex hibits. The Senior Center located at Staples High
School has a small collection of art donated by
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 399 members and fri ends of the center.

Post 399 at 465 Riverside Avenue displays two Banana Republic

World War II illustrations by Harold van In February 1999 a long-lost mural by Westport
artist Ed Ashe, Jr. was uncovered in the former
Schmidt, a World War I illustration by J. Clinton Klei n's store, 44 Main Street, as it was being ren-
ovated by its new tenant, Banana Republic.
Shepard (who sculpted the Doughboy monu- W hen made aware of its importance as part of
ment si ted on the Town Hall Green) and a Westport's art history, Banana Republic arranged
World War I drawing by the Society of to restore the mural and to incorporate it into
11 1ustrators reporter-arti st Wallace Morgan . the overall store design.

Westport's Outdoor Sculptures (as compiled by the National Institute for Conservation). Although we
have referred to some of these artworks above, a complete list of Westport's outdoor sculptures which are
not part of the WSPA Collection is as follows :

Architectural Sculpture H arvey Weiss Exterior of building at 21 Charles Street

Bears Ann H yatt Huntington Nature Center

Bridge in Time Bobbie Friedman Riverw alk II at Post Road

Compo Cannons Seacoast type cannon Compo Beach
Manu factured c. 1800

Charities Charles G innever Lower Library Entrance, Jesup Green

Compo Battle Plaque Colonial Cemetary, Compo Beach Road

E}. Pasacreta M emorial Frank Covino Pasacreta Park opposite 228 Riverside Avenue

Lindsey La ura Gardin Fraser N ature Center Garden

Onyx Perp etural Sally Mattikow End of Riverwalk I

Seagull Christopher Ray Canal Street Park

*The Doughboy J. Clinton Shepherd Town H all Green

"The Minuteman H . Daniel Webster Junction of Compo Road & Compo Beach Road

*These two sculptures- The Minuteman that commemorates the heroism of the patriots who defended
their cou ntry w hen General Tryon's British troops invaded Connecticut via Compo Beach on April 25,
1777, and the pensive Doughboy who stands watch over our World War I veterans on the Town H all
Green-are especiall y meaningful to all Westporters and an important part of the town's art heri tage.

67

Authors' Biographies

Mel Casson is a well-know n cartoonist w ho writes and links between lt;ili;in Renaissance Jrtisls and American
draw s the comic strip "Redeye" for the King Features masters of egg tempera and fresco media, and frequently
Syndicate and also has collaborated wi th William F. orga nizes study tours exploring Italy's historical art monu-
Brown on the comic strip " Boomer." He ha s published ments.
five ca rtoon books including the anthology Ever Since
Adam and Eve. His work has appeared in virtually every Claire Gold, Westport's Superintendent of Schools from
national magazine and he has exhibited al the 1980 to 1988, served the Westport school system in
Metropolitan Museum oi Art, the Library of Congress and many different capacities starting in 1965. Her responsi-
Ohio State University. He has served on the Board of bilities in cl uded pupil personnel and special education
Governors for both the Newspaper Comics Council and services, the development of the widely respected region-
lhe National Cartoonists Society and is the founder of the al special education program, and the overall responsibili-
WSPAC Cartoon Collection. ty for elementary and middle school s. Since leaving the
Westport school system, she has devoted much time to
Ann Chernow, artist, is a Professor Emerita in the desegregation and has been pivotal in the development
Connecticut State Community College System at Norwalk of regional programs, aimed at bringing together urban
Community College. She is the reci pient of a Yale M ellon and suburban children. These hilve included many pro-
Grant for Vis iting Faculty and her paintings have received gr<Jms in the arls as well as the much heralded Six to Six
many awa rds, including the prestigious Richard Florshei m lnterdistri ct Milgnet School in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Aw<ird. Chernow's w ork is ex hibited national ly and inter-
national ly and is included in numerous public collections Howard Munce, artist, designer, teacher and Professor
such as the M etropolitan Museu m of Art, the National Emeritus of the Pa ier College of Art has been a part of the
Academy of Ari, the National Museum of Women in the Westport art scene since the 1930s. He is the Honorary
Arts and the Yale University Art Gallery. President of the Society of Illustrators, Chairman of the
Saniord Low llluslration Collection at the New Britain
Christiana Cunningham-Adams, a fine arts pa intings con- Museum of American Art <incl Co-curator of the Drnwing
servator, lived in Italy for eleven years, where she trained Collection at the Westport Public Library. The author of
at the lstituto Centrale del Restauro and participated in the three art books and edi tor of several more, he is also the
restoration of <incienl Roman, Medieval and Renaissa nce designer of Westport's Bicentennial Ca lendar, and of the
frescos . George Adams, her partner and husband, is a books Westport...a Special Place and A Community of
conservation engineer who also is responsible for the Artists. His cartoon illustrations have long appeared i n
technical and illustrative photography of fine art for Con n<•cticut's newpaper; and his pai ntings appear regu-
Cunningham- Adams. The Cunningham-Adams team hils larly in area exhibitions.
worked on the recovery and restoration of twenty-one
paintings from the Westport Schools Permanent Art Eve Potts, an activist in preservation, has been a member
Col lection and is current ly engaged in a ten-year project of the Connecticut Historical Commission for the past ten
to restore the frescos of the Senate Corridor in the U.S. years. She also has served as Chairman of the Westport
Capitol in Washington, D.C. Historic District Commission; as Fund Raiser, Vice-
Presiclent and Board M ember of the Westport Historical
Mollie Donovan is the WSPAC Committee historia n, co- Society; and as co-curator of the Westport Schools
chairman of Westport's Arts Advisory Committee <Jnd has Permanent Art Collection from 1974 to1992. She is the
served as Publicity Director and Board Member of the author of Westport...a Special Place. A medical w riter for
Westport Historical Society. As co-curator of the WSPAC more than 30 years, she is ;ilso the co-author of Choices:
for twenty years, she coordinated the acquisition, preser- Realistic Alternatives in Cancer Treatment, as well ilS five
vation and display of more than 400 paintings ;rnd sculp- other health-related books.
tures throughout the school system, and was instrumental
in the WSPAC group project to build a computerized Larry Silver's photographic ca reer has led him in two dif-
database containing information on all ilrl work now in ferent directions. As an advertising photographer in New
the Collection. An advertising executive and technical York his clients include IBM, Citibank, American Express
and medicill writer for m<Jny years, and now historian for and Procter and Gamble. As a photographer who is
the town's Millennium Committee, she devotes her ener- exhibited worldwide, his work is in the public collections
gies to projects concerning Westport and the <J rts. of the Metropolitan Museum, Brooklyn Museum, George
Eastman House, International Center of Photography,
Philip Eliasoph is Professor of Art History, founding direc- Boston Museum, and the Ya le University Gallery. In 1985
tor of the Willsh Art Gal lery at Fairfield Universi ty, and his exhibit, Westport, A Town in Connecticut at the WAC,
co-founder of the Fairfield Arts Council. Following his helped celebr11te the town's sesquicentennial. Silver's
doctoral thesis, Paul Cadmus: Life and Work, he guest- Yangzhou: A Journey of Discovery, featuring Westport's
curated a national retrospect ive tour honori ng Mr. sister city in China, h<is been shown throughout
Cadmus. Through Eliasoph's efforts Cadmus' landmark Connecticut and New York. Two of his photographs have
New Deal painting " The Fleet's ln"-seized under federal been selected for Made in California, the Millennium
censorship in 1934-was returned to publ ic domain. 2000 Exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum.
Eliasoph w rites and lectures on the technica l and thematic

68

About the members of the Westport Schools
Permanent Art Collection Committee

The artworks presented in this catalog are a small segment of the more than 450 artworks in the
Collection that are curated by volunteers - mothers, fathers, art historians, artists, w riters, teachers and
art enthusiasts. These volunteers are in charge of the Collection and work together to collect, study, cat-
alog and display the artwork throughout the Westport schools and the town's public buildings. They
work in the most practica l ways to hang the artwork, transport it to various locations for shows, keep up
with repairs and restorations, keep a database inventory, fund-raise and educate the school administra-
tors, teachers and children as well as the general public. Westport WPA Art Rescue, our subcommittee,
is responsible for w riting grants for the preservation of the tow n's WPA paintings and murals. The work
done by all the W SPAC volunteers is trul y a labor of love for a very special collection and for Burt
Chernow's philosophy that our children should be surrounded by a visual arts environment.

Diana Tsimoyianis

Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection Committee

Kati e Chase, Priscilla Long & Nancy M cNern ey Co-chairpersons

Lisa Arnold Susan M alloy Jenny Robson
Jilda Auray Joan S. Mi ller Li z Rueven
Dary l Cheifetz M ary Bea ll M ooney Ann Sheffer
Ann Chernow Howard Munce Carol Schweid
Leo Cirino Tom O 'Conno r Kendall Smith
Mollie Donovan Kate Ord wa y Diana Tsimoy ianis
Harriet Heinem an Carol Randel Helenanne Willmott
M ary Jo Lombardo Diane Yormark

This catalog was made possible by the following contributors
Susan M alloy

Harriet and Bi ll Heineman
The Betty R. Sheffer Foundation
The Westport Millennium Co mmmittee
The Westport Board of Education

The Chenok-Chernow Fami ly:
David and Katheri ne Chenok
Daniel and Jill Chenok

Paige Chernow and M ark Konings
Perrin and Ted Stein

Paul and Karina Chernow

Catalog Credits
Catalog Editor & Coord inato r: Mollie Donovan

Catalog Design: Howard Munce
Graphic Production : Miggs Burroughs
Scanning & Image Processing: N icholas Pisarro, Jr.

Copy Editor: Katie Chase
Photography: Seth Goltzer (unless otherwise noted)

Database: Joan S. M iller
Printer: Kle in's Printing Company, Inc., Westport, CT

69

Index

Artists Represented in Collection s Lasker, Joe 27
Authors' Biographies
Cartoons and Comic Strips 68 Paintings, D rawings, Prints and Sculpture, co nt.
Section Introduction
Selections from the Collection: 51 Levine, Jack 24
51 -5S
Browne, Dik Malloy, Susan 4
Capp, Al S3
Casson, M el SS McKinnickinnick, Maggie 9
Darrow, Whitney, Jr. Sl
Enos, Randy 54 Minkowitz, Norma 16
Gray, Harold 54
Gurney, Eri c 5S Miro, Joan 12
Ketcham, Hank 52
Ramsey, Alice Harvey 52 Moholy-Nagy, Lazio 23
Sagendorf, Bud S4
Starr, Leo nard SS Motherwell, Robert 12
Swan, Curt SS
Walker, Mort 52 Parker, Ray 17
Young, Dean 55
Illustrat ions 53 Peterdi, Gabor 28
Section Introduction
Selections from the Collection: 29 Picasso, Pablo 21
Blegvad, Erik 30-3 7
Clymer, John Reid, Charles 23
Dohanos, Stevan 36
Einsel, Naiad & Walter 34 Rivers, Larry 20
Fuchs, Bernie 31
Gramatky, Hardie 36 Shahn, Ben 7
Gustavson, Lealand 1,32
Law son, Robert 37 Stamos, Theodore 20
Lovell, Tom 32
McDermott, John 37 Sugarman, Tracy 10
Munce, Howard 3S
Rosenfeld, Mort 34 Toulmin-Roth, Ann 14
Sharpe, Jim 30
Shepherd, J. Clinton 33 Vasarely, Victor 14
Willmott Al 33
Paintings, Drawings, Print.s and Sculpture 3S Weiner, Sam 18
Section Introduction 6S
Selections from the Collection: Wesselmann, Tom
Arms, John T. 6
Baj, Enrico 7-28 Woodham, Jea n 19
Baskin, Leonard
Baxter, Robert 26 Wright, George Hand 11
Bolotowsky, llya 17
Cadmus, Pau l 26 Ph o t o g rap h s
Calder, Alexander 28
Camacho, Paul 10 Sect ion Introduction 56
Chaet, Bernard 18
Chernow, Ann Selections from the Collection : S6-64
Cholmeley-Jones, Henrietta 8
Cifolelli-Lamb, Alberta 8 Cardozo, George 61
Colburn, Jane 25
Daugherty, James 15 Eisenstaedt, Alfred 60
Dubuffet, Jean iv
Eby, Kerr 2S Halsman, Philippe S9
Fisher. Leonard E. 13
Frasconi, Antonio 15 Keppler, Victor S9
Gish, Peter 22
Hayter, Stanley W . 11 Kuhner, Russell S8
Ketchman, Niki 22
Kipnis, Robert 9 Noyes, William 58
LaSalla, John 24
16 Silk, George 61
13
27 Si Iver, Larry S6
19
Stern, Burt 57

Trager, Philip 60

The Ford Times Collect ion so
Section Introduction

Selections from the Collection: 50

Albrektson, Al 50
Barbour, Arthur
so

Wall Paintings

Section Introduction 46

Selections from the Collection: 46-49

Curry, John Steuart 46,47- front & back covers

Dohanos, Stevan 49

Lambdin, Robert 48

Westport's Art Inheritance 66-67

Westport's Outdoor Sculptures 67

WPA Art

List of Westport WPA Artists 44

Lost WPA Art 45

Section Introduction 38

Selections from the Collection: 40-43, 4S

Boyer, Ralph 40, 43

Brown, Samuel 41

Heurlin, Colcord 43

Lambdin, Robert 41

Thew, Robert Garret 42, 45

WSPAC History H ighlights & Exhibits 62-65

WSPAC Committee 69

WSPAC Viewing Locations iv, 66, 67

70