La Conner already had vacationers and tourists, but the presence of Anderson and Graves-and those they befriended-helped the local community develop a deeper appreciation for art and a greater acceptance of eccentricity. Pacific Coast with the influence of their travels and studies of Arabic, Japanese, Chinese and Buddhist art and culture, creating an art form that became distinctive of the Northwest. Photo by Cathy Stevens.Ī 1953 Life Magazine article explains that they were mystics because “their work embodies a mystical feeling toward life and the universe.” They combined the natural world of the U.S. Artist Maggie Wilder on the Fishtown boardwalk. Anderson settled in the La Conner area permanently in the 50s. Over the next two decades the pair came and went between Seattle and La Conner-and around the world. Graves and Anderson rented primitive houses and cabins in La Conner as retreats from Seattle’s bustling city life. Although Interstate 5 did not yet exist, the pair followed the road north of Seattle, eventually meandering through downtown La Conner. In 1936 Graves and Anderson began taking road trips across the country to paint. The fourth Mystic, Guy Anderson grew up as a friend of Graves in Edmonds, WA. Morris Graves-a student of Tobey’s-won SAM’s top prize at the age of 23, helping him later sell 45 paintings at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His friend and fellow painter Kenneth Callahan was curator of paintings at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) for 16 years. Painter Mark Tobey was a faculty member at Seattle’s Cornish School of the Arts. Richard Gilkey, Western View, 1977 Oil on canvas 49.25 in. They would eventually become known as the founders of the Northwest School of modern art. The “Big Four” or the Four Mystics first met in the bustling 1930s Seattle art scene. The Four Mystics & the Northwest School of Modern Art From the 1960s to the 80s these artists built a unique camaraderie-a community-whose style and aesthetic went on to influence and shape the work of other artists throughout the Pacific Northwest and around the world.Īlthough Fishtown is no more, La Conner and Skagit Valley are still home to a thriving arts community full of talent and sophistication that belies the small town feel. La Conner was once home to a rustic artists’ colony, Fishtown, where creatives sought the solitude and spiritual connection to the wildlife, misty mornings and broad sunsets along the mighty Skagit River. But that’s where you’d be very, very wrong. At first glance, you might think it’s little more than a tourist stop. If you’re a fan of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, you might have passed through charming La Conner, WA.
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