GRAND RAPIDS
ARTISTS and WRITERS
The smoke from the Grand Rapids furniture factories has
drifted so far about the world that it has perhaps obscured the fact
that Grand Rapids produces other things besides furniture. But the city
has it esthetic as well as its commercial side and has produced some of
the best known artists in America.
Among the older artists who have made national and
international reputation are Will Howe, Fred S. Church and
Lawrence C. Earle. Among the younger artists who are already well known
are Will Howe Foote, Glenn Newell, Gilbert White, Thomas Mitchell
Peirce, Raymond Crosby, Gerrit A. Beneker, and F. de Forrest Schook.
Grand Rapids also claims Miss Eulabee Dix, the miniature artist, whose
work is well known both in America and England.
...
Larry Earle Also Wins Fame.
Larry Earle came here in the 50's when a child from New
York. He and Fred Church were boys together in Grand Rapids and they
shared their dreams of one day becoming great artists. They went to
Chicago together and later to New York where each carried on his work in
his own especial way. Laurence Carmichael Earle is now one of the well
known of the American artists. He is especially noted for his excellent
studies of character types. Among these are the old flute player and the
old violin player. He has also made some notable studies of the fisher
folk types. A number of Mr. Earle's pictures are owned by residents of
this city. One of Mr. Earle's most important commissions was for the
mural paintings in the Chicago National bank. These paintings consist of
sixteen lunettes, eight by sixteen feet each in dimension. they
represent sixteen different periods in the history of Chicago. Mr. Earle
won the commendation of the president of the Chicago Art institute and
of the critics. These pictures rank among the finest mural decoration in
Chicago. Mr. Earle's two sisters, Miss Kate and Miss Emily Earle, reside
in this city.
Excerpts from a special edition of
the Grand Rapids Press, January 1, 1907. Also profiled are William
H. Howe, Fred S. Church, Will Howe Foote, Miss Eulabee Dix, Thomas
Mitchell Peirce and others.
GRAND RAPIDS PRESS, TUESDAY, JANUARY
1, 1907; p. 54
