Clem's House

In 1939, artist-in-residence John Steuart Curry and John Barton, Professor of Rural Sociology, established the Wisconsin Regional Art Program (WRAP) at the University of Wisconsin. They were supported by the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Chris Christensen. The program hosted the first statewide Rural Arts Exhibit in 1940 at the Memorial Union as part of the University’s annual Farm and Home Week. Participants were non-professional artists from rural backgrounds. WRAP encouraged laypeople to create art, cultivate personal styles, and draw inspiration from daily life. Emphasis was placed on personal expression rather than technical skill. Curry and Barton believed not only that art and culture enriched the lives of farmers, but also saw artistic expression and participation in culture as a sign of a healthy democracy. The program received national attention in the 1940s and Barton published Rural Arts of Wisconsin in 1948, featuring biographies of many of WRAP’s artists to promote the program’s mission and celebrate its success. WRAP continued under the Division of Continuing Studies at the University of Wisconsin until 2020. It hosted regional art exhibits and workshops and purchased over 110 works of art for its permanent collection. Elizabeth Faulkner Nolan first exhibited at the inaugural Rural Arts Exhibit in 1940 and remained involved with WRAP and the University of Wisconsin’s Regional Writers Program, serving on both boards. In the 1940s, she pursued formal training when sheattended the Milwaukee Art Institute, the Layton School of Art, and the Cranbook Art Academy, where she took classes with Eero Saarinen and Carl Milles. She created watercolors, oil paintings, sculptures, and ceramics and exhibited at the Milwaukee Art Institute as well as at local dairy shows. Nolan enjoyed living and working on a farm and many of her compositions focus on farm life. Clem’s House is representative of her energetic style. It features bright colors, dynamic lines, and a busy composition featuring lots of activity. The painting’s exuberance expresses Nolan’s love for the plants and animals associated with farm life.