"A Modest Little Art Show That Wasn't" with Jim McAllister

At a glance, the 1939 art exhibition at Hamilton Hall, a part of the June 28th "Chestnut Street Day" celebration, seemed like a typical neighborhood show. However, it was significantly more.

The exhibition showcased works from local amateur painters and art teachers, sprinkled with oils or watercolors from a handful of artists whose works were also displayed in major museums. These artists were well-known among American art museum curators, critics, dealers, and collectors. Fifty years prior, members of this group, including long-time Salem residents Frank Weston Benson, Ross Sterling Turner, and Philip Little, had established the foundation for the thriving Salem art colony.

Local historian Jim McAllister notes that recent years had been hard on many of these aging artists, making the 1939 show at Hamilton Hall a tribute and a poignant farewell to the Salem art colony and its members.

McAllister uses the exhibit to highlight some of the more prominent exhibitors and introduce their esteemed but lesser-known colleagues.

He also delves into the intriguing professional relationships among Salem artists, dating back to the 1880s, their connection to the Chestnut Street neighborhood, and their contribution to the city's cultural life.