This is the preface to “Tales of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Acquiring the Fort Scott Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.”
As it is Valentine’s Day, I needed to address a topic that I feel passionate about:
“Old Backdrops or Large-Scale Art?”
Are Scottish Rite scenery collections just “old backdrops” or “large-scale works of art produced by nationally recognized artists?”
I have noticed over the years that one can often identify the individual artist who created a painted scene– even in a studio setting. You just need a little time, or a lot of time, to do some extensive research. This is what makes Christine Hadsel’s book “Suspended Worlds – Historic Scenery in Northern New England” so fascinating. It’s the stories of the artists and their place in the world of art, whether they are significant or not. She specializes in small roll drops, especially those created for Grange Halls. Hadsel and I have known each other for years, occasionally reaching out to with unusual questions or requests, always respecting one another’s contributions to theatre history. Her work with communities to preserve their heritage parallels my passion to preserve fraternal history. We are from two different worlds, but we share the same endgame.
This topic resulted from my attendance at my husband’s conducting debut for Singers in Accord – “From Highlights to Shadows: A Choral Scenographic Journey. The scenic art of Thomas Gibbs Moses set to Music by Whitacre, Gjello, Paulus, Parry and More!” This was the scenery collection that had consumed my life from August 2015 until June 2016. It was, and is, one of my passions as I piece together the history of Scottish Rite theatres in North America. Seldom does a single artist produce an entire Scottish Rite collection, such was the case when Thomas Gibbs Moses (1856-1934) painted the collection for the Valley of Fort Scott in Kansas during 1924.
Last Saturday, I sat in the fourth row at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center and watched the grand drape open to reveal Jerusalem in chaos. My heart stopped when I saw damaged versions of the painted drops- the same drops that I had placed into storage during November 2015. In an instant, I knew that this scene, and most likely all of the others, had been irreparably damaged. Did the audience realize that the cut drops were destroyed, or were the wrinkles and sagging perceived as simply “old backdrops,” showing a natural wear because of their age?
I began pondering a much larger issue and one that went beyond any disastrous restoration attempt; specifically, why is scenery frequently viewed as mere backings for performances and not as an art form with cultural value?
Maybe it is because the owners fail to realize that they are stewards of large-scale art collections, maybe not. But I am reminded of Victor Higgins (1884-1949), the scenic artist and fine artist who painted with Moses. Higgins painted his “Little Gems” out of the back of his car and sold them for $250 (see February 4, 2017 post). Some are now valued at $750,000. What would a backdrop painted by Higgins be worth? To examine the studio records, locate the Scottish Rite collection, and identify one of his scenes – wow. It might be the only one left in the world produced by this fine artist.
After all, painting for the theatre is ephemeral and Scottish Rite collections are anomalies, right? What could we gain by examining Higgins’ painting techniques in a large scale format and comparing them with his fine art techniques? Were they the same? Did he explore new color combinations or paint application techniques? Did scenic art inform his fine art, or vice versa?
Moses worked with Higgins in both scenic studios and fine art studios. We have Moses’ memoirs, scrapbook, business records, communications with other fine artists, fine art, and much more. This information provides an incredible amount of context for both Moses’ own painting and the artistic endeavors of others. The Fort Scott scenery collection was painted during the same time that Moses contemplated becoming a Mason (Pasadena, California, 1925). Is that why the designs for Fort Scott depart from the standard Sosman & Landis stock designs for Scottish Rite theatres?
Unless people understand the national and international significance of this collection, it will forever remain known as the old backdrops that were purchased from Fort Scott.
It is time for me to fully explain the significance of this scenery, its conception, creation, and transportation to Minnesota in 2015. To really look at the personal artifacts that Moses’ left behind on site; artifacts that we discovered twenty-feet above the stage.
As a good friend often says, “They don’t know what they don’t know.” So this and my daily postings for the next few days, or week, will attempt to inform others about the significance of the Fort Scott scenery collection and its placement within both Masonic and theatrical history. I will document the evaluation, acquisition, removal and transportation of the collection from the theatre in Fort Scott to the storage facility in Bloomington, Minnesota from August 2015-June 2016.
It has nothing to do with the current restoration of these drops under the direction of Kim Lawler and Outhouse Productions (owned by Mia Schillace-Nelson). I strongly encourage you to seek out their Facebook pages and contact them directly if you have any questions regarding their involvement and the preservation of these artworks.
This post also is a result of the constant inquiries that I receive regarding the Fort Scott collection at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Many people ask the same questions over and over again.
Why did I suggest this particular scenery collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center?
Why restore the scenery at all?
Why not just hang the scenes immediately and fix them later?
Is it really a unique collection?
Why go out of our State to preserve fraternal heritage when there are so many Scottish Rite collections here?
How were these drops created and is the dusting pigment dangerous?
The list of questions goes on and on.
But let’s simply start with something simple:
Scottish Rite scenery collections are large-scale artworks, many produced by nationally recognized artists. They are not merely old backings for degree work.
Attached are pictures from August of 2015 when I evaluated the collection in Fort Scott to assess their condition.
