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Gunnar Widforss discussion Sunday at Museum of Northern Arizona
Art historian Alan Petersen discusses painter inspired by national parks, Grand Canyon

Above: Hermit’s Rest fireplace, one of 10 Grand Canyon postcards from paintings by Gunnar Widforss published in 1932 by Fred Harvey. NPS Museum Collections<br /><br /><!-- 1upcrlf2 -->

Above: Hermit’s Rest fireplace, one of 10 Grand Canyon postcards from paintings by Gunnar Widforss published in 1932 by Fred Harvey. NPS Museum Collections<br /><br /><!-- 1upcrlf2 -->

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The Museum of Northern Arizona invites everyone to travel with art historian Alan Petersen to the world of Swedish-American Gunnar Widforss (1879-1934), renowned for his watercolor paintings of national parks, especially the Grand Canyon.

Petersen, curator of fine art for the Museum of Northern Arizona, is working on documenting the artist's life and will share rarely seen images and stories during "Travels With Gunnar Widforss," a discussion from 2 to 4 p.m., on Nov. 3, at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

Petersen is working on a book about Widforss and a comprehensive catalog of his paintings. He is inspired by the painter's "deep connection with the Swedish-American painter's jewel-like watercolors of the American West and early work in Europe."

Also known for depicting landscapes of the Colorado Plateau in his own paintings, Petersen recently returned from Sweden where he met with members of Widforss family. He photographed more than 300 paintings and scanned 350 letters Widforss wrote throughout his 35-year career. Petersen's catalog will feature more than 2000 paintings.

The Museum of Northern Arizona is located on 3101 N. Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff. More information is available by calling (928) 774.5213. The lecture is included in museum admission.


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