Minerva Teichert Art and Vision
During the early 1900s, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League of New York were venues where Minerva Teichert, an artist affiliated with the Latter-day Saints, pursued her studies. This period saw the rise of mural paintings and theatrical pageants as vibrant components of American popular culture. Drawn to these engaging art forms, a young Minerva harnessed their dramatic essence to narrate tales of her religious lineage and the American frontier.
Despite growing up in the rural landscapes of Cokeville, Wyoming, Minerva Teichert’s life was notably influenced by drama, theater, and cinema. This fondness for artistic expressions persisted even as she ventured beyond her hometown. During her time in Chicago, her academic pursuits extended beyond visual arts to encompass drama and dance. Upon her arrival in New York, she supplemented her studies by showcasing rope tricks and performing Native American dances to cover her tuition.
The concept of utilizing expansive murals within public structures to convey knowledge intrigued Minerva. These murals possessed the potential to convey their messages to large audiences even from a distance. While in New York, the prominent American realist painter Robert Henri encouraged Minerva to encapsulate the "great Mormon story" within her works. Driven by this aspiration, she produced numerous theatrical portrayals featuring Mormon pioneers, the American West, and scenes from the Book of Mormon.
A collection of forty-seven expansive narrative murals created by Minerva Teichert is currently exhibited at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art - Minerva Teichert art gallery.
