California history scholar, art and rare book dealer, author and publisher Bill Miesse of Mount Shasta, one of the key figures in putting together the exhibit, is scheduled to give a talk on what has come to be known as the Wilkes’ Expedition Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at Turtle Bay.
Miesse said the members of the expedition, including scientists and artists who kept detailed journals of their discoveries, “were as famous as astronauts in their time, but few people now have heard of them.”
At a time when California was still part of Mexico and photography had yet to become practical for explorations, the Wilkes’ Expedition was sent around the world to give the United States government a better understanding of the Pacific Ocean region, according to Miesse.
The expedition, led by Lieutenant George Emmons under orders of Captain Charles Wilkes, spent more than three weeks traveling from the Columbia River (where Wilkes stayed with the Navy ships) to the Mt. Shasta area.
Among the discoveries they made while in the area, Miesse said, was the carnivorous California pitcher plant.
All of the journals and artwork from the expedition eventually became the property of the US Navy and are now part of the Naval Historical Center in Washington, DC, according to Miesse.
The 1841 original sketch by Agate is on loan to the Art of Mt. Shasta exhibit from the Navy, he said.
He will explain how the Navy got the Mt. Shasta area in 1841 as part of his Feb. 4 talk, which is the first of three talks he will give on consecutive Thursdays in conjunction with “The Art of Mt. Shasta” exhibit.
He is also scheduled to give talks on “San Francisco Art Renaissance (1840-1880)” on Feb. 11 and “Life and Art of California Native Peoples” on Feb. 18.
To reserve a spot for any of the talks, call 530-242-3108.
Paintings come home
“The Art of Mt. Shasta” exhibit at Turtle Bay was more than six years in the making. It was originally scheduled to coincide with the publication of the book by Miesse and Robyn G. Peterson, “Sudden and Solitary: Mount Shasta and Its Artistic Legacy, 1841-2008.”
The 288-page full color book reveals 167 years of artwork from the Mt. Shasta area. It was published in 2008. Getting all the original artwork together for the exhibit took a bit longer.
“The book should be required reading for anybody living our area,” said Mike Hupp, one of about 50 Mt. Shasta area residents who attended the grand opening of the exhibit Jan. 15. “It’s a remarkable contribution. There’s so much history in the book. It filled in a lot of blanks.”
Peterson, who edited the book and organized most of the exhibition details, said, “When you have good raw material, it’s easy to tell a good story.”
Miesse called the exhibit, which features more than 60 works of art, many of them from the 19th century, “a homecoming for these paintings... This may not happen for another 100 or 150 years.”
“It’s a wonderful exhibit,” said Donna Brooks of Mount Shasta, who has officially been recognized as a town historian. “I hope a lot of people will come see it. There’s so much variety; no two pieces are the same.”
Standing in front of the largest piece in the exhibit, a 6-foot by 10-foot 1879 painting by William Keith that, according to Miesse, hasn’t been on public display for at least 70 years, Mount Shasta resident Marian Murphy-Shaw said, “It takes your breath away.”
Keith, Miesse said, was the most successful of the San Francisco art renaissance painters; he is often referred to as “The Old Master of California.”
The Art of Mt. Shasta exhibit is scheduled to continue through May 2. Exhibit tours are scheduled at 1 p.m. on Feb. 6 and 20 and March 6 and 20.
Redding, Calif. —
