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Catalog Data

Artist:
Gale Stockwell, born Kansas City, MO 1907-died Colorado Springs, CO 1983  Search this
Medium:
oil on canvas
Dimensions:
28 1/4 x 35 3/8 in. (71.8 x 90.0 cm.)
Type:
Painting
Date:
1933
Exhibition Label:
A mother and her young son walk down Main Street in this brightly colored scene of a small midwestern town overlooking the green valley of the Missouri River. Perhaps they are in downtown Parkville, Missouri, to shop in the little stores that line the street with goods piled appealingly in their front windows. Unable to find much market for his fine artworks in the Kansas City area during the Great Depression, artist Stockwell made his living as a commercial artist working for a chain of stores. He added appeal to this quiet town scene by using brilliant reds, greens, and blues like those he might have used in his advertising designs. In his commercial work, however, Stockwell was confined to creating an eye-catching version of nature. In fine art pieces like this one, he was free to choose and distribute hues for expressive purposes.1934: A New Deal for Artists exhibition label
Luce Center Label:
Gale Stockwell painted this scene of a street in Parkville, Missouri, for the Works Progress Administration. The old cars, colorful storefronts, and factory smokestack create a cheerful image of small-town America, despite the hardships faced by many midwesterners during the Depression. Paintings like this, which celebrate industry and community life, showed a nostalgic view of the past while also inspiring hope for the country's future.
Topic:
Architecture\vehicle\automobile  Search this
Figure group\female and child  Search this
Cityscape\street\Main Street  Search this
Cityscape\Missouri\Parkville  Search this
New Deal\Public Works of Art Project\Missouri  Search this
Architecture Exterior\commercial\store  Search this
Credit Line:
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor
Object number:
1964.1.124
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection
Department:
Painting and Sculpture
Data Source:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk72482d5b2-27ad-478b-8677-cc4448df5422
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:saam_1964.1.124