Valley Girl Views: Artists In The North Central Susquehanna Valley

An Index Of Some of the Artists In Our Areas History

Clinton County

Local Artist Annie M. Snyder, from Salona (near Mill Hall) struggled to make a living from art all her life and, at one point, was peddling raffle tickets for her paintings door to door. In 2007, her painting, Still Life Of Fruit And Nuts On A Table,sold for $5,850 at auction. Read more here: https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/02/annie-m-snyder-artist-from-clinton.html

Lycoming County

Still Life Artist Severin Roesen [1814-1872] spent approximately 10 years living and working in Williamsport Pa. His years there are thought to be the most productive of his career, although he never achieved fame, nor fortune. When First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy chose two of his paintings to be displayed in the newly renovated White House in 1962, his work was catapulted into popularity, and prices soared. Paintings, many of which Roesen had bartered for food and lodging, were pulled to of attics and store rooms and sold - although some still exist, and several are on public display, in Williamsport. Others can be seen in a list of major museums. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/02/severin-roesen-in-williamsport-pa.html

Local Artist John Wesley Little, from Picture Rocks in Lycoming County, paid his childrens college tuition to Lewisburg Universtiy [today Bucknell] partially in paintings. Bucknell still owns some of his work. Read more here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/02/john-wesley-little-artist-from-picture.html

Emily S. Bassler sketched 4 drawings of the early Hughesville fairgrounds buildings for the fairs 100th anniversary. See them here: https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-lycoming-county-fair-at-hughesville.html

Artist Nick Rosato of Williamsport Pa got his start in drawing in the CCC camps in the 1930s. In the 1950s he began illustrating for Game News Magazine, completing more than 3,500 illustrations for them. His other work includes a beautiful series featuring the history of Williamsport. See more here: https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-art-of-nick-rosato.html

Artist George Luks 1867-1933 was born in Williamsport Pa. His family moved to Cambria County before his 4th birthday, and to Schuylkill County by 1880. Luks was one of "The Eight", a revolutionary group of painters who, after being slighted by the National Academy of Design, staged their own show at the Macbeth Gallery in 1908. A few years after their only joint exhibition, the eight painters were absorbed into a larger group called the Ashcan school.

Dr Henry Benjamin Mussina, Williamsport Artist. 1902-1969. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/02/dr-henry-b-mussina-artist-williamsport.html

Pete Gstalder Jr was a 1943 graduate of Lycoming College with a major in art and social studies. For a period of two years he studied with four nationally-known artists in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He taught art for 25 years and during the 1960’s and the 1970’s he was the owner and operator of 2 art studios and galleries. One was on Park Avenue and the other was located downtown on Pine Street in Williamsport. Active in art circles, he co-founded the Bald Eagle Art league in 1972. He was also the winner of many area and regional artwork awards. His paintings are displayed and exhibited in several local, permanent collections including Penn College and Lycoming College as well as other private collections in the area. See more here: https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/02/artist-peter-gstalder-williamsport-pa.html

Dewing, Woodward [1856-1950], Williamsport Native. “one of the nation’s leading painters.” Studies at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia and the Academie Julian in Paris. Exhibied at Paris Salon. taught art at the Female Institute in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (which later became a part of Bucknell University), the Women's College of Baltimore (later Goucher College in Towson, Maryland), the Ethical Culture School in New York City, and the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. Child of John Vanderbilt Woodward and Wealthy Ann York Woodward, her grandfather, Apollos Woodward, served as an aide to George Washington during the Whiskey Rebellion. Their home in Williamsport, called Springside & located at 721 Fifth Avenue, was originally a log house before being enlarged in 1845. The Woodwards added a studio above the kitchen of the Southern style home for Woodward to use as a studio.
Frankeberger, Rena [1872-1946] Supervisor of Art at Williamsport Schools. Painted Murals depistcing The Song Of The Hiawatha, which hang at the Curtain School.
Hunter, Frances Tipton [1896-1957] Born in Howard Pa, moved to Williamsport after her mothers death to live with her Aunt nad Uncle. While studying in Philadelphia, Hunter was hired by John Wanamaker to illustrate a line of children’s fashion for catalogs and advertisements. While in Williamsport for the 1956 Sesquicentennial, Hunter was named one of the first Pennsylvania ambassadors by the state Chamber of Commerce, and was named “A Distinguished Daughter of Williamsport." Hunter became the “most popular and best-selling calendar artist” of the 1940-50s. n the early 1920s, Hunter created a series of paper dolls that first appeared in Ladies’ Home Journal. After rave reviews and requests, she illustrated six dolls to appear in the regular publications. From the 1930s to the 1940s, Hunter contributed 18 covers to the Saturday Evening Post. During her lifetime, she illustrated and published two books, Random House’s Boo, Who Used to Be Scared of the Dark, and The Frances Tipton Hunter Picture Book
Lowenstein, Maria Lili Margarete [Baetge] 1914- Born in Estonia, married Erich Steinberg. Fled the Russian Revolution, move to Berlin. Second Husband, Max Loewenstein. Studies at Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and Institute of Fine Arts in Berlin. Emigrated to the US in 1946, settling first in Williamsport Pa, later in Denver Co.
Mussina, Martha Levan [1910-]

Montour County

Daniel Ack and his wife, natives of Berks County, came to Mooresburg to open a shop in 1854. The clay he used was obtained from nearby farms, hand dug and hauled by horse and wagon to the shop. Today, Ack Pottery can bring as much as $500 a piece. Read more here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2023/02/ack-pottery-mooresburg-pa.html

William Benneville Rhodes, born in Danville in 1860, went to Europe to study art. There he exhibited in the 1886 Paris Salon. Upon returning to Danville later in life, he painted portraits of the Geisingers, as well as of Thomas Beaver. https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/02/artist-william-benneville-rhodes.html

Larry Mordan 1952-2019, was a lifelong resident of the Danville area, graduating from Danville high school in 1970. He was a well known local historian, especially regarding the Iron Heritage of the area, conducting tours of the nearby Harding Slope on the former Bogart farm. Mordan also conducted cemetery tours for the Iron Heritage festival, telling attendees of the lives of Welsh miners buried there. Mordan was well known for his pencil sketches and drawings. See more here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-sketches-of-larry-mordan.html

Northumberland County

"Matt Rusnak might be called the Leonardo da Vinci of Knoebels Amusement Resort. While working at the park for more than 20 years, the 78-year-old Mount Carmel resident — who describes himself as an artist, engineer, sculptor and historian — has designed and created signs, characters, logos, historical paintings, murals and even a replica of the clock tower and bell that stood atop the former Eagle Silk Mill in Shamokin" - The News Item, Sept 2003. See more here: https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-art-of-matt-rusnak-knoebels-full.html

Hubert Davis 1902-1981, Milton PA

Hubert Gray Davis was born March 15th 1902, the son of Edmund & Susan [Barnitz] Davis of Milton, Pennsylvania. Hubert studied at the Art Students League of New York in the 1920s. Davis went on to produce work for the WPA, illustrate at least one book, produce numerous illustrations for magazines and newspapers; and write original plays, for which he also designed the costumes.

He wrote a play, and exhibited artwork, at the 1956 Bicentennial of Fort Augusta in Sunbury PA.

Davis and his wife moved to New York, but spent much time at the Davis Family Homestead, a stone home built by Huberts great great grandfather Philip Davis, in Washingtonville Pa.

Huberts work is in several museums, including the MET & Smithsonian, and after his death, hundreds more of his works were found in a one room school house in New Tripoli that he had used as a studio.

Here's a look at just some of the work of Hubert Davis:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/05/artist-hubert-davis-native-of-milton-pa.html

Snyder County

In 1971, The Tri-National Bank commissioned James Dippery of Middleburg to paint a collection of paintings depicting scenes of historical interest. See them here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/08/historical-snyder-county-watercolors-by.html

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