Several months ago, I was contacted by Christiana Cairnes, the great-niece of DAC artist Richard Blauvelt Coe. She said that her mother, Margaret Ellen Coe Cairnes, Richard Coe's niece, had recently passed away, and she was following up on a request her mother had made before her death. According to Chris, through our website, her mother was familiar with the DAC Foundation and requested that we be contacted after her death. Chris explained that her mother had five oil paintings and one etching by Richard Coe. In accordance with her mother's wishes, she and her brother, Jeff Cairnes, wanted to donate the artwork to the DAC Foundation. "In an effort to honor my mother's wishes after she passed away, I reached out to the Dixie Art Colony Foundation. After viewing their website and speaking with Mark, I felt confident I had found the proper home for my great-uncle, Richard Blauvelt Coe's artwork. I know my mother would be pleased. Thank you to the DAC Foundation for helping to preserve the legacy of the Dixie Art Colony," said Chris Cairnes.

Richard Blauvelt Coe, Portrait of Edward Stewart Coe, circa 1935, oil on canvas, 54 x 34 inches | Gift of Christiana Lyn Cairnes and Jeffrey Wade Cairnes in memory of their Mother Margaret Coe Cairnes  |  RBC-2024.AW.0008 |  Edward was Richard B. Coe's only sibling and the father of Margaret Coe Cairnes.

(Detail) Richard Blauvelt Coe, Portrait of Edward Stewart Coe, circa 1935, oil on canvas, 54 x 34 inches | Gift of Christiana Lyn Cairnes and Jeffrey Wade Cairnes in Memory of their Mother Margaret Coe Cairnes  |  RBC-2024.AW.0008 |  Edward was Richard B. Coe's only sibling and the father of Margaret Coe Cairnes.

Edward Stewart Coe, May 6, 1905 – March 9, 1960  |  DAC Foundation Archives, RBC-2024.PH.0002  |  Source: Estate of Margaret Coe Cairnes

On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, I traveled to Houston, Texas, to accept this generous gift. Chris Cairnes and her husband, Tom Calhoun, were such gracious hosts. They made me feel like family. Chris also shared copies of family photographs, including rare pictures of her great-uncle Richard Coe.

The painting included in this post is an excellent addition to our growing collection of portraits. This gift is another example of the DAC Foundation's ongoing effort to bring DAC-related artwork by Alabama artists to the state where the artist was born and raised. Richard Coe was born and raised in Selma, Alabama. The Coe family moved to Selma, Alabama, from Ramapo, New York, in the early 1860s.

This post is the first in a series of posts featuring the six works of art recently donated to the DAC Foundation from the Estate of Margaret Ellen Coe Cairnes.

Pictured left to right: Margaret Coe Cairnes, Jeffrey Cairnes, Christiana Cairnes,