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==Life at Taos== |
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Aspiring to create sketches in color of the Indians and thier surroundings while on vacation, Professor of Art, Blanche Grant and Nebraska State Historian, Martha Turner arrived at Taos in June of 1920. By August Ms. Turner had returned to Nebraska while Blanche Grant resigned from her position at the University of Nebraska and moved to Taos.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lincoln Nebraska State Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lincoln-nebraska-state-journal-para-7-a/136549180/ |access-date=4 April 2024 |issue=Sunday, June 6th 1920 |publisher=Lincoln Nebraska State Journal |date=Sunday, June 6th 1920 |ref=Page 11}}</ref> |
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In 1921 Ms. Grant bought an [[adobe]] house at La Loma in Taos, where she added a studio that same year. At La Loma she is neighbors with [[Oscar E. Berninghaus]] and [[W. Herbert Dunton]], two of the founding members of the [[Taos Society of Artists]]. She would eventually become friends with all of the Taos Society members. According to people at the old book store at Taos who remembered her, Ms. Grant would divide her time between painting in spring through summer and research and writing in the fall and winter.<ref>{{cite journal |title=New Mexico State Record |date=Friday, April 29th 1921 |pages=8 |access-date=4 April 2024}}</ref> |
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'''Promoting Taos and the art colony''' |
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Early on, Blanche Grant was active in community affairs at Taos, including advocating for the art colony and the indians of the Pueblo. When Grant arrives at Taos in August of 1920, the newspapers are reporting on the likely passage of the 19th ammendment, which would be a big win for the womans suffrage movement, something Grant was very much in favor of. Indeed the ammendment passes in the last days of August. In a large painting that was likely her first major painting at Taos, Grant summons her excellent painting and story telling abilities to depict a woman of suffrage and education standing with two young Taos girls. This painting is full of symbolism and is a testament to her ability to beautifully tell a story using the brush work of a highly skilled artist. |
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In 1922 Blanche Grant finds herself editor of the local Taos newspaper. |
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It is around this time that [[Bert G. Phillips]] suggests to her that she should write the story of the various artists that followed him and what brought them to Taos. It was this suggestion along with her love of history that sparked her desire to begin writing about the history of Taos. |
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In 1925 she published three Taos related books titled: "One hundred Years Ago in Old Taos", "Taos Today", and "Taos Indians". In her book "One Hundred Years Ago in Old Taos" Grant includes illustrations of five paintings by Taos Society artists including two by [[Joseph Henry Sharp]], two by [[Eanger Irving Couse]] and one by [[Bert Geer Phillips]]. Here she also announces an upcoming book to be titled "Taos and its Artists". This title doesn't appear to have been published at the time, but in her 1934 title "When Old Trails Were New" she includes a chapter called "The Taos Art Colony" where she does indeed write about Taos and its artists. |
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She ends "Taos Today" with a guide to Taos and sections on "How to get to Taos", "What there is to see", "Where to go" and "What to do". There is also a calendar with dates of the various fiestas, dances and other celebrations of the Pueblo Indians. In addition, she lists local artists with studios where tourists are welcome to visit by appointment. The list includes the names of many artists who are considered very important today, including: |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|+ Active Studios at Taos (1925) |
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| * [[Victor Higgins]] — Desert Edge |
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| * [[Catharine Carter Critcher]] — Pueblo Road |
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| * [[Ernest L. Blumenschein]] — Simpson Street |
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| * [[E. Martin Hennings]] — Pueblo Road |
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| * [[Walter Ufer]] — Beaubien Lane |
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| * [[Bert Geer Phillips]] — Pueblo Road |
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| [[Leon Gaspard]] — La Lomita |
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| * [[W. Herbert Dunton]] — La Loma |
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| * [[Joseph Henry Sharp]] — Carson Road |
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| * [[Oscar E. Berninghaus]] — La Loma |
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| * [[Eanger Irving Couse]] — Carson Road |
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| [[Blanche Chloe Grant]] — La Loma |
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| Ralph Meyers — Mission Shop |
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| * Member of the [[Taos Society of Artists]] |
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'''Community Activism''' |
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There were a series of fires in the early 1930's that almost destroyed the entire Taos Plaza including Emil Bisttram's "Heptagon Gallery", the first art gallery in Taos. In response Blanche Grant began to champion for the creation of a volunteer fire department. Up to this time fires were being quelled by towns people using a bucket brigade. Eventually a crew of volunteers was assembled. Following this success, it became apparent that there was a need for space and equipmnent. In this endeavor, Ms. Grant was able to enlist some of her friends in the art community to dontate a painting or two to help raise money for the cause. Later, when the fire department needed running water, Blanche was again involved in getting Taos incorporated, which helped to qualify it for funding from the US government and finally get running water to Taos. |
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Ms. Grant was given a lifetime honorary title as President of the Taos Volunteer Fire Department. A title which she held until her death in 1948. |
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'''Gallery at the Fire Department''' |
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Today there is an art gallery at the Taos Fire Department where over 250 paintings hang. They were all donated by Taos artists over the years. Donating art to the fire department has become a long standing tradition. Recognising the significance of this unusual collection, the Taos Volunteer Fire Department has never sold any of the paintings. The collection has slowly grown over time to be what it is today. |
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This gallery and the tradition of donating paintings can trace its roots directly back to the 1930's and the efforts of [[Blanche Grant]]. |
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==Death== |
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On June of 16th of 1948, Taos suffered the loss of a friend and champion of the community. [[Blanche Grant]] was 73 years old. |
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Many people from Taos turned out to pay their respects including the Mayor of Taos and friends from the art community. [[Oscar Berninghaus]], [[Victor Higgins]] and [[E. Martin Hennings]] were pallbearers. She is buried at Sierra Vista Cemetery in Taos.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Taoseno |journal=The Taoseno |date=Thursday, June 24th 1948 |volume=131 |issue=Volume 13 Number 36 |pages=1 |access-date=4 April 2024 |ref=Library University of New Mexico}}</ref> |
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==Legacy== |
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Papers relating to an unpublished book called "The Forty Seventh Star - New Mexico" are held in the archives of the [[Houghton Library]] of the [[Harvard Library|Harvard University Library]]. |
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