In February the first in a series of art exhibits was held at Grace Methodist Church on Waterman. Mrs. Olive Chaffee’s exhibit of paintings opened Feb. 6, 1971, and run throughout the month. The paintings on exhibit were tranquil, soothing land or sea-scapes with a great deal of blue and green in their color scheme.
Born in Paducah, Kentucky, Mrs. Chaffee has been a St. Louis resident for 45 years. For two and one half years she and her husband lived in Webster. From there they moved to an apartment on Waterman. “I can still remember,” she said, “the day I found our house (where she still lives on Westminster Place).
She was returning from a Delmar market when she noticed the fruit trees in the backyard of one of the houses. “There were two cherry trees, an apple and a peach tree in bloom. The spectacle was breath-taking, and there was a for sale sign in the front yard. That settled it. I rushed home and told my husband that I’d found a house we must buy.”
Olive, as Westminster’s artist in residence prefers to be called by her friends, studied painting in St. Louis, Washington, Denver and New York. She has received a variety of honors for her art work, including eight prizes which she won in Illinois. One of these was for her picture painted to express the feeling in a musical piece by Greig called “Morning”.
Mrs. Chaffee’s works have been exhibited in major cities throughout the country. Her “Missouri Vetch Field”, which now hangs in the Harry S. Truman Memorial Library in Independence, Missouri, hung in the White House during Truman’s administration. It was also exhibited for a time in the National Gallery.
Mrs. Chaffee also has been honored by listings in Who’s Who in American Artists and Who’s Who in Kentucky Artists.
Together with her husband, Mrs. Chaffee held a summer studio and painting class on Lookout Mountain for 33 years. Her interest and talent, however, are not strictly limited to painting. “I love to dabble in drama and even wrote a play once,” says Olive. Although it was produced, she maintains that it must have been very bad, and only laughed when asked its name. She says she enjoys amateur productions and is pleased with the talent these plays often reveal.
Responsible for the organization of the American Art Alliance and Women’s Art Association, Mrs. Chaffee is also an active member of St. Louis Women Artist. On almost any day you choose, you may expect to see her either attending a meeting of some artists’ organization, working on a painting or going in search of possible material for a picture.
As the interview ended, Olive mentioned that this was her first exhibit in several years and that all the work and excitement had tired her out. With eyes twinkling behind gold rimmed glasses, she assured me that she was going to take the day off and “just rest”. Somehow I had trouble believing her.
Original photograph caption
Olive Chaffee at her art exhibit. Photograph by Doug McKee.
Originally published in The Paper, March 1971.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1971_03.pdf, printed page 5.
