The DAC Foundation is pleased to announce another painting by Dixie Art Colony artist Richard Brough has been added to the collection. Mary Carolyn Gibbs Cleveland recently donated this painting in honor of her sister Elberta Gibbs Reid. This painting was purchased by Mary Carolyn directly from Richard Brough. Brough told her that this painting was his first draft for one of his magazine illustrations. Shown is a copy of an article written by Brough about Wisdom, Montana, published with his painting. We are searching for a complete copy of the magazine that features this watercolor painting. Research indicates that Brough painted more than 200 magazine illustrations.
Shown below is a postcard featuring a photograph taken from the opposite direction of the same street scene in Wisdom, Montana. A sign for Fetty's Bar & Cafe can be seen in the painting and the photograph. Fetty's Bar is still in operation, although it is located in a different building. Wisdom, sitting at an elevation of 6,050 feet, is a small town located in Beaverhead County, Montana, in the southwest portion of the state, about 71 miles from Butte in the Big Hole Valley. This area was often called the "Valley of 10,000 Haystacks." In Brough's article, he wrote: "Wisdom is in the Black Hole Valley, a country noted for haying, fishing, and long winters. In fact, people say there are only two seasons hereabouts, haying and winter." The Big Hole National Battlefield, part of the Nez Perce National Historical Park Trail, is nearby. Wisdom was named for the Wisdom River (now the Big Hole River) that flows through the town. The town's first post office opened in 1884. In 2019, the small town's population was 91.
Thank you, Mary Carolyn Gibbs Cleveland, for your generous donation to the the Dixie Art Colony Foundation.
Richard Burrell Brough, Wisdom, Montana, n.d., 16x25 inches; RBB-2021.AW.0002
Shown is a vintage magazine article titled "Wisdom in the Sky," written by Richard Brough.
Shown is a vintage postcard showing downtown Wisdom, Montana.
Sources: Wikipedia, Personal Interviews, DAC Foundation Archives.
Dixie Art Colony Foundation, Wetumpka, Alabama