O'Kelley, Mattie Lou (c. 1908—1997)

American folk artist. Born in Georgia, around 1908; died in Decatur, Georgia, in July 1997.

A self-taught folk artist who was said to have possessed "a unique vision," Mattie Lou O'Kelley took up her paint brush at the age of 60 and created a memoir of canvases depicting rural Southern life in the early part of the 20th century. Her autobiographical paintings, with such titles as Papa Feeding the Stock at 4 a.m., Bringing in the Night Water, and her self-portrait, Mattie in the Morning Glories, document the hard work and simple pleasures of her youthful days in the Georgia countryside. Initially, O'Kelley also served as her own agent, once traveling by bus to show her paintings to Gudmund Vigtel, the director of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Vigtel purchased a still life for the museum, which later came to the attention of Robert Bishop, who is now credited with discovering O'Kelley. Bishop, an art dealer and later the director of the American Museum of Folk Art in New York City, was delivering a lecture on quilts at the High Museum in 1975, when he first viewed the still life and was told about the "painting lady" who delivered it to the museum. Bishop was so impressed with that he embarked on a mission to bring O'Kelley to the attention of the American public. Her work is now included in a number of museum collections, including the American Museum of Folk Art. Bishop also wrote an introduction to O'Kelley's art book Mattie Lou O'Kelley: Folk Artist. The artist died in 1997, age 89.

sources and suggested reading:

"Milestones," in Time. August 11, 1997, p. 25.

"Obituary," in The Day [New London, CT]. July 31, 1997.

O'Kelley, Mattie Lou. Mattie Lou O'Kelley: Folk Artist. Intro. by Robert Bishop. Bulfinch, 1989.

Barbara Morgan , Melrose, Massachusetts