A limited-edition biography of Mendocino County artist Grace Hudson showcases her portrayals of Pomo children.
Grace Carpenter Hudson (1865-1937) was a Northern California artist who created more than 650 paintings of her Pomo Indian neighbors. For more than 40 years, Grace and her husband, Dr. John Hudson, a physician and ethnographer, dedicated their lives to the study and preservation of the Pomo Indian culture.
Hudson”s portrayals of Pomo children caught the eye of the public and made her a national celebrity by age 30 ? during a time when oil painting was a profession that was ruled by men. Today the Grace Hudson Museum, which is operated by the City of Ukiah, features the world”s largest collection of her paintings.
The couple”s home, the Sun House, is adjacent to the museum and is accessible through docent tours. The Sun House is California Historical Landmark No. 296 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
“Grace Hudson: Artist of the Pomo Indians” (Donning Company, 2006) features 171 illustrations, 62 in full color, which showcase her most memorable paintings. Co-authors Dr. Lucienne T. Lanson and Patricia Tetzlaff have made use of extensive personal correspondence as well as previously unpublished photographs in compiling Hudson”s biography.
The book is being released as a limited edition with only 500 hardcover and 2,000 soft cover copies available. The cost of the book is $39.95 hardcover and $24.95 softcover.
A coloring book is also available for $5. It features 27 line illustrations that were drawn from Grace Hudson”s paintings, Edward S. Curtis”s Pomo Indian photographs, photos from the collection at the Grace Hudson Museum and original drawings by author and illustrator Patricia Tetzlaff.
Copies of the book are available at the Grace Hudson Museum Store, 431 S. Main Street in Ukiah, 467-2856; www.gracehudsonmuseum.org.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com. Information in this article is compiled from the Grace Hudson Museum Web site as well as promotional materials for “Grace Hudson: Artist of the Pomo Indians.”
