Archie Musick
Encyclopedia
Archie Leroy Musick was an American
painter
. He studied under Thomas Hart Benton
, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, and Boardman Robinson
.
, to parents Levi Prince Musick and Zada (Goeghegan) Musick. He attended Kirksville schools and later Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now known as Truman State University
. In 1947 he married Irene Kolodziej, who was head of the ceramics department at the University of Missouri
-Columbia, and they were the parents of two children, Patricia Ruth Musick and Daniel Barrett Musick. After Irene's death he married Jane Wyeth Knight. Archie Musick was the brother of author and folklorist Ruth Ann Musick
as well as the nephew of author John R. Musick
.
, "Hard Rock Miners," (1934) (5”x14”) was funded by the Public Works of Art Project
and may be seen in the City Auditorium in Colorado Springs, Colorado
, where for many years he was the art instructor at the Cheyenne Mountain School. Musick’s work can be seen as well in the Red Cloud, Nebraska
Post Office http://communitydisc.westside66.org/html/colette/muralsSIG/RedCloudPage.html, the Manitou Springs, Colorado post office, and also at his alma mater
, Truman State University
(B.Sc; then Northeast Missouri State Teachers’ College). He was commissioned by the class of 1928 to paint the snow-covered ruins of Old Baldwin Hall, destroyed in a 1924 fire. He described his first private mural commissions (well before the New Deal-funded ones) as "scenic pot-boilers on restaurant walls, (which) were happily destroyed by fire." He spent most of his career in Colorado
, with a year (1946-7) teaching at the University of Missouri
and several years after that teaching at another Missouri university. The post office murals were funded by the New Deal Section of Fine Art program; the Red Cloud mural was painted in 1941 and the Manitou Springs one, "Hunters red and White," in 1942. In the course of creating "Hunters Red and White," Archie developed the signature egg tempera/colored pencil technique that he used for smaller paintings throughout the rest of his life.
His book, Musick Medley: Intimate Memories of a Rocky Mountain Art Colony, is a personal view of the art world of the Colorado SPrings region from the 1920s to the 1950s, including the Broadmoor Art Academy and Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
.
Musick also illustrated selected works for his sister Ruth Ann Musick
, collections The Telltale Lilac Bush
and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales, Coffin Hollow and Other Ghost Tales, and Green Hills of Magic: West Virginia Folktales from Europe. Many of the original ink board illustrations from these publications are within the archives of Fairmont State University's West Virginia Folklife Center. Two enameled copper and steel murals incorporating many of Archie's illustrations (along with additional original illustrations to other tales) were created by his daughter, Pat Musick, when she was Artist-in-Residence at FSU in 1992. The murals are on exhibit for public viewing in the foyer of the Ruth Ann Musick Library on the main campus.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He studied under Thomas Hart Benton
Thomas Hart Benton (painter)
Thomas Hart Benton was an American painter and muralist. Along with Grant Wood and John Steuart Curry, he was at the forefront of the Regionalist art movement. His fluid, almost sculpted paintings showed everyday scenes of life in the United States...
, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, and Boardman Robinson
Boardman Robinson
Boardman Robinson was a Canadian-American artist, illustrator and cartoonist.-Early years:Boardman Robinson was born September 6, 1876 in Nova Scotia, Canada. He spent his childhood in England and Canada, before coming to Boston in the first half of the 1890s...
.
Early life and family
Archie Musick was born January 19, 1902 in Kirksville, MissouriKirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
, to parents Levi Prince Musick and Zada (Goeghegan) Musick. He attended Kirksville schools and later Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now known as Truman State University
Truman State University
Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...
. In 1947 he married Irene Kolodziej, who was head of the ceramics department at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
-Columbia, and they were the parents of two children, Patricia Ruth Musick and Daniel Barrett Musick. After Irene's death he married Jane Wyeth Knight. Archie Musick was the brother of author and folklorist Ruth Ann Musick
Ruth Ann Musick
Ruth Ann Musick was an American author and folklorist specializing in West Virginia. She was the sister of artist Archie Musick and niece of author John R...
as well as the nephew of author John R. Musick
John R. Musick
John Roy Musick was an American historical author and poet best known for his Columbian Historical Novels.-Early life:Born in St. Louis County, Missouri on February 28, 1849, the son of Ephraim and Mary Musick. While a small boy his family moved to Adair County, Missouri where he received his...
.
Career
His first major muralMural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
, "Hard Rock Miners," (1934) (5”x14”) was funded by the Public Works of Art Project
Public Works of Art Project
The Public Works of Art Project was a program to employ artists, as part of the New Deal, during the Great Depression. It was the first such program, running from December 1933 to June 1934...
and may be seen in the City Auditorium in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, where for many years he was the art instructor at the Cheyenne Mountain School. Musick’s work can be seen as well in the Red Cloud, Nebraska
Red Cloud, Nebraska
Red Cloud is a city in and the county seat of Webster County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,131 at the 2000 census.-History:The region of present-day Red Cloud was intermittently occupied and used as hunting grounds by the Pawnees until 1833. In that year, a treaty was signed in...
Post Office http://communitydisc.westside66.org/html/colette/muralsSIG/RedCloudPage.html, the Manitou Springs, Colorado post office, and also at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Truman State University
Truman State University
Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...
(B.Sc; then Northeast Missouri State Teachers’ College). He was commissioned by the class of 1928 to paint the snow-covered ruins of Old Baldwin Hall, destroyed in a 1924 fire. He described his first private mural commissions (well before the New Deal-funded ones) as "scenic pot-boilers on restaurant walls, (which) were happily destroyed by fire." He spent most of his career in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, with a year (1946-7) teaching at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
and several years after that teaching at another Missouri university. The post office murals were funded by the New Deal Section of Fine Art program; the Red Cloud mural was painted in 1941 and the Manitou Springs one, "Hunters red and White," in 1942. In the course of creating "Hunters Red and White," Archie developed the signature egg tempera/colored pencil technique that he used for smaller paintings throughout the rest of his life.
His book, Musick Medley: Intimate Memories of a Rocky Mountain Art Colony, is a personal view of the art world of the Colorado SPrings region from the 1920s to the 1950s, including the Broadmoor Art Academy and Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is an arts center located just north of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. Located on the same city block are the American Numismatic Association and part of the campus of Colorado College....
.
Musick also illustrated selected works for his sister Ruth Ann Musick
Ruth Ann Musick
Ruth Ann Musick was an American author and folklorist specializing in West Virginia. She was the sister of artist Archie Musick and niece of author John R...
, collections The Telltale Lilac Bush
Telltale Lilac Bush
The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales is a collection of 100 folklore and ghost stories compiled by Ruth Ann Musick.The tales surround ghost stories from around the Marion County area in Northern West Virginia...
and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales, Coffin Hollow and Other Ghost Tales, and Green Hills of Magic: West Virginia Folktales from Europe. Many of the original ink board illustrations from these publications are within the archives of Fairmont State University's West Virginia Folklife Center. Two enameled copper and steel murals incorporating many of Archie's illustrations (along with additional original illustrations to other tales) were created by his daughter, Pat Musick, when she was Artist-in-Residence at FSU in 1992. The murals are on exhibit for public viewing in the foyer of the Ruth Ann Musick Library on the main campus.
Sources
- Who Was Who in American Art. Compiled from the original thirty-four volumes of American Art Annual: Who's Who in Art, Biographies of American Artists Active from 1898-1947. Edited by Peter Hastings Falk. Madison, CT: Sound View Press, 1985. (WhAmArt 1)
External links
“Chores on Pike’s Peak” http://a-r-t.com/wpa/pages/Musick%20,%20Archie%20-%20Chores%20On%20Pikes%20Peak.htmWriting
- Oil Painting for Beginners (1930)
- Jigger Flies First (juvenile; 1957)
- Transplanting Culture. Magazine of Art March, 1937
- Musick Medley: Intimate Memories of a Rocky Mountain Art Colony Colorado Springs: Jane and Archie Musick 1971.