The Kenneth Callahan mural in the Anacortes Post Office needs restoration. Before that can happen, its original condition must be considered and the work evaluated. Its value is based on what we can learn from it today as well as about its time, place, and subject. An appreciation for Callahan underscores why the site should be preserved.
The mural depicts salmon fishermen and a purse-seine boat during the Great Depression. The mural has been referred to as “Halibut Fishermen” on academic websites, but it’s officially titled “Fishing.” How well did it reflect fishing practices in 1940 when it was installed? “Reading” this artwork reveals history, and a glimpse of how it got its title, offering a perfect way to learn more about Anacortes and salmon fishing.
Art sparks conversation.
Asking questions like “What do you see,” “How is it compose?” “What does it mean,” and “What is its artistic merit?” Describing, analyzing, interpreting, evaluating, and discussing works like this mural builds visual literacy and critical thinking.
The struggle between individual creative expression and conflicting interpretations of authenticity were debated between the Postmaster and the artist because murals funded by the U.S. Treasury Relief Art Project from 1934 –1943 were to be appropriate to the communities where they were located and to avoid controversial subjects. Because post offices were the most visited government buildings at the time, officials chose them to display 1,400 social realism murals — most of which still exist today. How was it possible the title for the Callahan mural was recorded incorrectly and created controversy?
Before gaining international fame, Callahan worked as a ship steward in 1927, traveling to Europe where he discovered Michelangelo, El Greco, and William Blake — artists he considered distinguished ancestors. He later spent six months in Mexico, where he connected with famous Mexican muralists Jose Clemente Orozco and Rufino Tamayo. He also met Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Their work inspired his murals in Centralia, Washington; Rugby, North Dakota; and Anacortes. He became famous for his ability to paint things like forms found in the flow of water, sand patterns, wind currents, and the muscles of men and horses done with expressive brushstrokes. Was the Anacortes mural painting too picturesque for him to resolve the complaints from the Postmaster?
Callahan worked at the Seattle Art Museum for 22 years, wrote about art for The Seattle Times, and was included in the Life Magazine article “Mystic Artists of the Northwest” in 1953. But he never considered himself a mystic painter. He wasn’t interested in symbols, yet his paintings “show a sensitive spirit brooding over the chaotic state of the world,” a comment written for The New York Times, by Howard Devree reviewing Callahan’s solo exhibition in New York City 1946.
Callahan spent summers as a U.S. Forest Service fire lookout in the Cascades during WWII.
Did his mountain encounters inspire him to depict life forces and hidden presences in his paintings? His use of color and fragmented forms grapple with a means to express humanity’s place in the cosmos.
Mural paintings were an early part of the legacy of art Callahan created. Did he know what he was capable of achieving as a painter in 1940? One question leads to the next when engaged in learning. Some questions will never have answers, but some things about the mural are certain: Anacortes has a treasure.
Nicolette Harrington: Nicolette is a local artist who created Wingshadow Studios in La Conner 2010. She fosters creativity within the community, encouraging others to explore art as a means of connection and healing. She is a retired elementary art specialist currently serving on La Conner Arts Commission and Art’s Alive board.
