30 Days Until Trek - Painting on the Trail

The Latter-day Saints have a strong and broad tradition of the visual arts. Some pioneers actually pulled out their painting supplies to paint what they saw on the trail. Others sketched scenes into their journals. Some of you may be inspired to not only write about Trek, but even capture your experience through art.

“A few pioneers did some painting. At Winter Quarters in 1848, Philo Dibble, for example, did a series illustrating such significant episodes as ‘The Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum’ and ‘Joseph Smith’s Last Address to the Nauvoo Legion.’ Wilford Woodruff declared it to be ‘the best art in the world.’ Frederick H. Piercy, an Englishman especially brought over to make some drawings of Church leaders and trail drawings in 1853, illustrated a popular trail book, Route from Liverpool to Salt Lake City.”

Selection from Stanley B. and Violet T. Kimball's 2011 book, Villages on Wheels: A Social History of the Gathering to Zion.