Arnold Kramer was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 folk art

Folk art

Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....

ist.

Early life

Arnold Kramer was one of 12 children born to Michael and Gertrude Kramer in Mitchell County

Mitchell County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,776 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,850 housing units, of which 4,395 were occupied.-2000 census:According to the U.S...

, Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

. In 1891, when Arnold was nine years old, the family moved to a homestead near Seaforth, Minnesota

Seaforth, Minnesota

Seaforth is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 86 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land...

 in Redwood County where they farmed. Arnold was a contemporary of children's author Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...

 who lived near Walnut Grove in southern Redwood County. Arnold married Rose Boushek on June 2, 1914. They raised their four daughters on a farm north of Seaforth. Their only son Myron, died at the age of 13.

Career

Arnold Kramer was nicknamed Minnesota's Grandpa Moses by the University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

 during the hey-day of his painting career in the 1960s. A self-taught artist, he completed over 400 pieces in a style referred to as naïve

Naïve art

Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...

 or primitive. His folk art

Folk art

Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....

 was reminiscent of paintings done by Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860–1961), another self-taught artist, from New England, whose work is still extremely popular among collectors. Like Grandma Moses, Kramer didn't pick up a paint brush until after retirement when he began recording the history of Midwestern agronomy in primary colors. Arnold began painting and recording history after a visit to see his daughter, Irene. She introduced him to oil paints and canvas to keep him busy while she and Rose went shopping. When Arnold returned to Wabasso, Minnesota

Wabasso, Minnesota

Wabasso is a city in Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 696 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...

 he began his career creating his own distinctive work.
According to an article in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, published August 1, 1972, Kramer had shows at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, Dayton's Art Fair, and was part of a traveling art show sponsored by the University of Minnesota. Kramer had also participated in countless rural art shows which produced several scrapbooks full of awards and ribbons. He was also featured in The Farmer magazine.

Permanent Collections

Southwest Minnesota State University

Southwest Minnesota State University

Southwest Minnesota State University is a public, four-year university that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It is located in Marshall, Minnesota, United States, a city of 13,000 people. The school has a full-time enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and...

, Marshall, Minnesota / Wabasso Community Museum, Wabasso, Minnesota

External links

• http://www.arnoldkramer.com