From the Permanent Collection: John Blake Bergers

The work of John Blake Bergers returns once more to our Red Cloud Opera House gallery with the addition of a newly acquired untitled painting of Blind d’Arnault! While the other works by Bergers in our permanent collection were donated to the Willa Cather Foundation by the artist himself and his family, this piece comes to us from the estate of acclaimed actress and life-long Willa Cather fan Julie Harris. To learn more about this recent acquisition, check out this Annotations from the Archive. You can also view the digital gallery here.

About the Artist:

John Blake Bergers (1931-2011) was a professional artist who left behind a fifteen-year career in banking to dedicate his life to painting historical and landscape scenes of the Midwest, especially those described so beautifully in the writings of Willa Cather. His collection of Cather works are a part of our permanent art collection here at the National Willa Cather Center. Bergers' deep interest in history led him to restoration work, and he was instrumental in restoring the McPherson Opera House in McPherson, Kansas, as well as to the restoration work at our own Red Cloud Opera House.

Prints of select John Blake Bergers works are available in our bookstore and online! Click the links below to view the prints in our online store.

Beside the Brick Wall 
Mahailey and the Dandelions 
Out to the Gayhearts 
Painted Windows    
Summer, Beautiful Summer   
Moonlit Roads