Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Grange Hall


Oil on board, 8.75" x 7.5"
$250 plus $8 shipping in U.S.
Click image to enlarge
SOLD


The old grange halls are an archetype of rural farming communities across America. Many of them are still in use as gathering places for social events, town meetings, etc. Brenda and I went to an old-fashioned "hoedown" dance in this one, near Cove, Oregon, many years ago. People of all ages filled the room, dancing the night away as local musicians played fiddle and banjo tunes. It felt very "Little House on the Prairie"--I kept expecting to see Michael Landon come through the door.

7 comments:

Pierre Raby said...

Love this painting a lot Don!

Richard Hunter said...


Nice work and good memories, Don. I've attended Grange Hall dances on two or three occasions in Montana. Those were great experiences being among ranch and farm families as they socialized. They (the families) made me feel welcome each time.

Don Gray said...

Hi Pierre--thanks for your support! Happy painting to you.

Don Gray said...

Thanks, Rick. Yes, we were welcomed graciously. It was fun to see families there, with kids out dancing and later sleeping on parents laps.

Diana Moses Botkin said...

This is a strikingly handsome painting. It makes me think more of Edward Hopper than Michael Landon.

We used to live in Oregon in the Willamette Valley and every Friday night at the nearby Grange there was a blue grass jam session. Sometimes there were dances too. Good memories: thanks for the reminder!

Don Gray said...

Thanks for the kind words and for sharing those memories, Diana.

Sarah Sedwick Studio said...

This is completely gorgeous, and immediately reminded me of the New Yorker covers that my parents collected and papered some of our rooms with when I was young. The artist Gretchen Dow Simpson in particular. xxo, Sarah http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/The-New-Yorker-Cover-August-9-1982-Prints_i8481751_.htm