25 Facts About Harvey Dunn

Harvey Thomas Dunn NA, known as J Harvey Dunn, was an American painter and teacher.

Harvey Dunn was born on a homestead farm near Manchester, South Dakota, in the county made famous by Laura Ingalls Wilder's descriptions of prairie life.

Harvey Dunn's parents were Bersha and Thomas Dunn, a Canadian-American.

Harvey Dunn had a younger brother Roy and an older sister Carolyn, who was called Carrie.

Harvey Dunn attended the South Dakota Agricultural College, in 1901 and 1902.

Harvey Dunn studied art under Ada Caldwell who encouraged Dunn to pursue his artistic studies in Wilmington, Delaware, under the instruction of Howard Pyle.

Harvey Dunn was one of a small group of Pyle's students who were trend-setting illustrators, collectively known as the Brandywine School.

In 1906, after two years with Pyle, Harvey Dunn established his own studio in Wilmington and immediately began a successful career as an illustrator.

Harvey Dunn was a prodigious painter, able to produce fifty-five completed paintings in eleven weeks for various clients.

In 1914, Harvey Dunn moved east and settled in Leonia, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City and its publishing world.

Harvey Dunn's experiences at the front as one of eight artist-correspondents with the American Expeditionary Force in Europe was a turning point for the artist.

Harvey Dunn created a body of work of pioneer prairie scenes.

Harvey Dunn's "often seen" painting Dakota Woman, from his series of strong pioneer women, is housed at the Dakota Discovery Museum in Mitchell, South Dakota.

The Chuckwagon is a 1915 Harvey Dunn painting owned by the Denver Art Museum.

The majority of Harvey Dunn's students were either graduate level painters or professional illustrators.

Harvey Dunn spoke about spirit, emotions, and discourse at length.

Harvey Dunn discussed his philosophy of life and art, offered group criticism, and strode from easel to easel discussing each student's work in turn.

Harvey Dunn's comments were captured by a student during a five-hour class session and were published in 1934 in a slim volume titled An Evening in the Classroom.

Harvey Dunn was a demanding teacher and at times a harsh critic.

Harvey Dunn believed in preparing his students for the harsh realities and intense competition of the commercial world.

In 1945, Harvey Dunn was named a member of the National Academy of Design.

Harvey Dunn was the president of the Society of Illustrators in 1948 and 1949.

Harvey Dunn received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree from the South Dakota State College in 1951.

Harvey Dunn died on October 29,1952, at his home in Tenafly, New Jersey at the age of 68 from cancer.

Harvey Dunn's name is memorialized by Harvey Dunn Elementary School, located in the eastern part of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.