With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
Earl Kenneth Bates
Painting/Drawing
1895 – 1973
Together with his wife, sculptor Gladys Edgerly Bates, the Bates were leading members of the Mystic Art Association.
- Biography/Description of Work
A Massachusetts native, E. Kenneth Bates studied art first at the Art Students League in New York prior to heading to Philadelphia, where he took courses at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 1921, on a scholarship from the Academy, he travelled to Europe. Upon his return he moved with his wife, the sculptor Gladys Edgerly Bates, to Mystic, and the pair became actively involved in and essential to the Mystic Art Association.
- Sources view
- Curbstones Clapboards & Cupolas: Four Self-guided Walking Tours. 1995. Mystic: Mystic River Historical Society.
King, Noelle Warden. 2013. Mystic as Muse: 100 Years of Inspiration, Exhibit catalog. Mystic: Mystic Art Association, p. 10.
Mystic Local Historic District inventory, accessed at http://lhdct.org/district/list/mystic-historic-district/P50 .
Ransom, David F. 1979. Mystic River National Register Nomination No. 79002718. National Park Service.
Town of Groton Assessor's Records & GIS viewer: http://maps.groton-ct.gov/apps/GrotonViewer/ . - Associated Resource(s)