John A. Spelman III, Artist and Printmaker: From Appalachia to Minnesota’s North Shore
John A. Spelman III, Artist and Printmaker: From Appalachia to Minnesota’s North Shore
John A. Spelman III is one of Minnesota's most notable artists, whose preferred medium was woodblock and linoleum-block prints, but who also produced pencil drawings, watercolors and poetry. The book consists of many prints, drawings, and watercolors spanning Spelman’s life and is authored by Scott Husby and Tracey Cullen.
Spelman grew up spending time on Minnesota’s North Shore at the family’s cabin near Hovland. Following several years of teaching in Harlan County, Kentucky, Spelman moved to Grand Marais, MN. His work in Minnesota portrayed life in the small North Shore community and focused on rural landscapes and buildings, including structures such as fish houses and logging camps that no longer exist. He also produced iconic images of churches in the Arrowhead region and elsewhere in Minnesota. In this respect, Spelman contributed significantly to our understanding of the historical record of Cook County.