June 18, 1:30 p.m.
The State Historical Society of Missouri’s Research Center-Columbia
Missouri artists George Caleb Bingham and Thomas Hart Benton had politics in their blood. Bingham was an active Whig who served in the Missouri state legislature, while Benton, named after one of Missouri's first senators, was the son of a Missouri congressman. Both men drew artistic inspiration from Missouri politics, creating images that contained political messages and commentaries on contemporary issues. At this curator's walk-through, SHSMO's Joan Stack will share the stories behind works such as Bingham's Watching the Cargo and Election series, and Benton's lithographs including Mr. President, a portrait of Harry Truman. Picturing Politics, which runs through July 2016, is currently on display in the main gallery of the Research Center–Columbia.