Chelsea: The Artist
George Harold Fisher (1895-1986)
Michigan artist George Fisher entered the 1936 Section of Fine Arts mural competition for the Decatur, Illinois, post office with a lot of experience. Fisher was born in Detroit and studied art at the Detroit Art Academy under John Wicker, who was trained at the famous Académie Julian in Paris. While Fisher had returned to Detroit before entering Section competitions, he lived in Los Angeles in the 1920s, where he painted murals, including stereotypical scenes of Native Americans set in a mountainous landscape at the Flintridge Biltmore Hotel (now the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy).
Fisher’s professional experience is evident in the Section files. He progressed through the mural quickly, apologizing for a delay due to illness in January of 1938. (Though he did receive several rounds of critical feedback regarding his color scheme.) He does not appear to have completed any other projects with the Section.
Sources
- “George Harold Fisher,” Smithsonian American Art Museum, accessed May 5, 2023, https://americanart.si.edu/artist/george-harold-fisher-1552.
- “George Harold Fisher,” askART Artist Biographies, accessed May 5, 2023, https://www.askart.com/artist/George_Harold_Fisher/10017768/George_Harold_Fisher.aspx.
- “John Palmer Wicker,” askART Artist Biographies, accessed May 5, 2023, https://www.askart.com/artist/John_Palmer_Wicker/81201/John_Palmer_Wicker.aspx.
