Maynard and Edith Hamlin Dixon House and Studio
Encyclopedia
The Maynard and Edith Hamlin Dixon House and Studio is a residence and former painting studio in Mount Carmel
, Utah
. Maynard Dixon
was a prominent artist in the 1920s through 1940s who is best known for his landscape paintings of the American West. He moved to Mount Carmel in 1939 shortly after marrying Edith Hamlin
, a muralist from San Francisco, California
. The Dixons spent their summer
s in the home and winter
ed in Tucson
, Arizona
. Maynard Dixon died in 1946, and Edith brought his ashes back to his Mt. Carmel home. Shortly afterward, Edith ordered the construction of a painting studio on the lot, where she created several of her notable works. Edith Dixon sold the home in 1953 to watercolor artist Milford Zornes
, who occasionally used the studio. The property is on the National Register of Historic Places
and is open to the public.
, California
. He trained as an artist in the early 1890s and was a successful illustrator
for the rest of the decade. Dixon admired the scenery of the American West and began to make tonalist and impressionist paintings of its landscapes. In the 1920s, he shifted to a Precisionism
style, influenced by his then-wife Dorothea Lange
. Many of Dixon's works included Native Americans
and sometimes lived in their reservations and the surrounding, undeveloped land. Dixon married Edith Hamlin, a noted muralist from San Francisco, California in 1937. Over two hundred of Dixon's works were hosted in museum
s and art galleries before his death in 1946.
The Dixons moved to Mt. Carmel, Utah
in 1939. Maynard first visited the area in 1933 and made several paintings of the small town. Mt. Carmel also proved to be an ideal launching area for excursions to Zion National Park
, a place that proved to be an inspiration for several of his most popular works. Maynard made plans to return to Mt. Carmel almost as soon as he married Edith. They purchased an adjoining lot and built a wine cellar
and guesthouse. The Dixons spent summers in the Mt. Carmel home and wintered in Tucson
, Arizona
.
Maynard Dixon last visited the home in 1945; his failing health from emphysema
forced him to stay in Tucson that summer and he died in his Tucson residence on November 11, 1946. The next year, Edith buried his ashes beneath a boulder at the Mt. Carmel home and installed a memorial plaque. Edith continued to summer in the Mt. Carmel home, adding a large paint studio in 1948. She re-married in 1951 and moved back to San Francisco in 1953. She later painted the murals of Coit Tower
. Edith sold the property to her friend, the famed watercolor
artist Milford Zornes
. Zornes occasionally used the property's studio for his own works. He sold the house to the Binghams, who restored the building and the property.
The house is a -story log home
with a stone foundation. The roof features steep gable
s and a tall chimney
. Windows are double-hung
, and the upper floor features a balcony. The upper floor can be accessed by an exterior staircase in the rear of the house. The garage, also steeply gabled, was the original living quarters for the Dixons while the main house was being constructed. Edith's studio is a vernacular
one-story building with two rooms. The guesthouse was originally a log home with a flagstone
extension added in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The wine and fruit cellar is in a hillside west of the residence and features built-in shelves. An outhouse was built in 1939, south of the main house; the house now has indoor plumbing. A trail from the studio leads to Maynard Dixon's memorial, which remains on a hill. East of the studio lies a boulder, featuring Maynard's initials, that was one of his favorite spots. The grounds, which were added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2002, are open to self-guided or guide-led tours for a donation.
Mount Carmel Junction, Utah
Mount Carmel Junction and Mount Carmel are unincorporated areas located east of Zion National Park and north of Kanab in Kane County, Utah, United States. They lie in close proximity to the beautiful Coral Pink Sand Dunes state park....
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Maynard Dixon
Maynard Dixon
Maynard Dixon was a 20th-century American artist whose body of work focused on the American West. He was married for a time to American photographer Dorothea Lange.-Biography:...
was a prominent artist in the 1920s through 1940s who is best known for his landscape paintings of the American West. He moved to Mount Carmel in 1939 shortly after marrying Edith Hamlin
Edith Hamlin
Edith Hamlin was an American artist. Born in Oakland, California, as a small child she was exposed to art by her father who took her on sketching trips...
, a muralist from San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The Dixons spent their summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
s in the home and winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
ed in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Maynard Dixon died in 1946, and Edith brought his ashes back to his Mt. Carmel home. Shortly afterward, Edith ordered the construction of a painting studio on the lot, where she created several of her notable works. Edith Dixon sold the home in 1953 to watercolor artist Milford Zornes
Milford Zornes
James Milford Zornes was an American watercolor artist and teacher.-Biography:Milford Zornes was born in rural western Oklahoma, a few miles from the small town of Camargo. His father found farming and stock raising in the area difficult, and when young Milford was seven moved the family to Boise,...
, who occasionally used the studio. The property is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is open to the public.
History
Maynard Dixon was born in 1875 in FresnoFresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He trained as an artist in the early 1890s and was a successful illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
for the rest of the decade. Dixon admired the scenery of the American West and began to make tonalist and impressionist paintings of its landscapes. In the 1920s, he shifted to a Precisionism
Precisionism
Precisionism, also known as Cubist Realism, was an artistic movement that emerged in the United States after World War I and was at its height during the inter-War period...
style, influenced by his then-wife Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration...
. Many of Dixon's works included Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and sometimes lived in their reservations and the surrounding, undeveloped land. Dixon married Edith Hamlin, a noted muralist from San Francisco, California in 1937. Over two hundred of Dixon's works were hosted in museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s and art galleries before his death in 1946.
The Dixons moved to Mt. Carmel, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in 1939. Maynard first visited the area in 1933 and made several paintings of the small town. Mt. Carmel also proved to be an ideal launching area for excursions to Zion National Park
Zion National Park
Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River...
, a place that proved to be an inspiration for several of his most popular works. Maynard made plans to return to Mt. Carmel almost as soon as he married Edith. They purchased an adjoining lot and built a wine cellar
Wine cellar
A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae or plastic containers. In an active wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system. In contrast, passive wine cellars are not...
and guesthouse. The Dixons spent summers in the Mt. Carmel home and wintered in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Maynard Dixon last visited the home in 1945; his failing health from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
forced him to stay in Tucson that summer and he died in his Tucson residence on November 11, 1946. The next year, Edith buried his ashes beneath a boulder at the Mt. Carmel home and installed a memorial plaque. Edith continued to summer in the Mt. Carmel home, adding a large paint studio in 1948. She re-married in 1951 and moved back to San Francisco in 1953. She later painted the murals of Coit Tower
Coit Tower
Coit Tower is a tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built in 1933 at the request of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the city of San Francisco; Coit bequeathed one-third of her estate to the city "to be expended in an...
. Edith sold the property to her friend, the famed watercolor
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
artist Milford Zornes
Milford Zornes
James Milford Zornes was an American watercolor artist and teacher.-Biography:Milford Zornes was born in rural western Oklahoma, a few miles from the small town of Camargo. His father found farming and stock raising in the area difficult, and when young Milford was seven moved the family to Boise,...
. Zornes occasionally used the property's studio for his own works. He sold the house to the Binghams, who restored the building and the property.
The house is a -story log home
Log home
A log home is structurally identical to a log cabin...
with a stone foundation. The roof features steep gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s and a tall chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
. Windows are double-hung
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
, and the upper floor features a balcony. The upper floor can be accessed by an exterior staircase in the rear of the house. The garage, also steeply gabled, was the original living quarters for the Dixons while the main house was being constructed. Edith's studio is a vernacular
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
one-story building with two rooms. The guesthouse was originally a log home with a flagstone
Flagstone
Flagstone, is a generic flat stone, usually used for paving slabs or walkways, patios, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstones, facades and other constructions. The name derives from Middle English flagge meaning turf, perhaps from Old Norse flaga meaning slab.Flagstone is a...
extension added in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The wine and fruit cellar is in a hillside west of the residence and features built-in shelves. An outhouse was built in 1939, south of the main house; the house now has indoor plumbing. A trail from the studio leads to Maynard Dixon's memorial, which remains on a hill. East of the studio lies a boulder, featuring Maynard's initials, that was one of his favorite spots. The grounds, which were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2002, are open to self-guided or guide-led tours for a donation.
External links
- Maynard Dixon Home & Studio - Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts, visiting information