The Historic Cane Hill Gallery will display a selection of the Ozark Folk Art Paintings of Essie Treat Ward (1902-1981) in an exhibition August 17 – October 26, 2024.

 Folk artist Essie Treat Ward was born in 1902 in Searcy County, where she resided until her death in 1981. Often called the “Grandma Moses of the Ozarks,” Essie was featured at the Smithsonian’s Festival of American Folklife in Washington, D.C. in 1970. Her pieces chronicle the often-humorous everyday life in the Ozarks of fictional characters Miranda and Hezzakiah. 

Essie began drawing when she was a young girl, but didn’t pursue making art regularly until after a cancer diagnosis forced her to slow down. Her success in painting came without the benefit of formal training.

“Essie Ward’s folk art offers a good-humored look at everyday rural Ozark life in the 1900s through the eyes of someone who lived it,” says Susan Young, local historian and Historic Cane Hill board member. “Ward’s own story offers a compelling opportunity to consider the challenges life hands to us and how we decide to meet those challenges.”

Paintings are from the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History’s Jeanne Hoffer-Tucker Collection.

The gallery is open Thur., Fri., Sat. from 10 AM-2 PM.

Featured Image: “Hezzakiah and Miranda Makin’ Sorghum” by Essie Treat Ward.

The public is invited to learn more about Essie at one or both of these upcoming community programs:

Thursday, August 29 – 6 PM
“I just paint as I see it”: Essie Ward and the Hillbilly Stereotype 

Using Essie Ward’s folk art to consider the Ozark hillbilly stereotype, Susan Young will explore perceptions of the Ozarks and Ozarkers, how others perceive us, and where the perceptions meet in the middle. Reserve your spot.

Local historian Susan Young is a lifelong resident of Fayetteville and a fifth generation Ozarker with roots in the southern Appalachians of Kentucky and Tennessee. She served as the outreach coordinator at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History for 27 years. Her Ozark history interests include traditional folkways, religion, and cemeteries.

Susan currently serves on the boards of Historic Cane Hill, Heritage Trail Partners, and the Butterfield National Historic Trail Association. She is also an active member of the Washington County Master Gardeners and the Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, genealogy, and birdwatching.

Tuesday, October 1 – 6 PM
Essie Ward: Illustrating a Life 

Using family photos, media clippings, and photos of Essie Ward’s paintings, Rachel Whitaker will explore Essie Ward’s life and her art. Reserve your spot.

Rachel Whitaker is a historian at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. She grew up in Highfill, Arkansas, and attended school in nearby Gentry until she began homeschool in the seventh grade. She attended college at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Her educational background is in history and libraries. Rachel’s work in the history field has included internships at George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri, and the Hunter’s Home in Park Hill, Oklahoma. She also spent time among the Kiowa tribe in southwestern Oklahoma, working on a project to collect animal tales. Rachel is currently a history instructor at Connors State College in Muskogee, Oklahoma. She spends her limited spare time outside or reading something not assigned by her professors.

These public programs are offered free of charge, but reservations are required due to limited seating. 

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