History Talk: George Caleb Bingham: The Augusta Roots of a Midwestern artist” by Art Historian Patricia Moss

Who doesn’t like a good history mystery, especially if it involves an Augusta native? The public is in for a treat on Tuesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. when art historian Patricia Moss, from Washington state, will present the program “George Caleb Bingham: The Augusta roots of a Midwestern artist” at the beautiful Wayne Theatre in Waynesboro.

Few people know that renowned 19th-century artist George Caleb Bingham was born in 1811 in an Augusta County farmhouse located about halfway between the present day communities of Weyers Cave and Grottoes.  

In 1819, the Bingham family moved to Missouri. When he was still a teenager, Bingham began painting portraits but soon also became adept at capturing scenes of the American West, 19th-century politics, and the life of river men who plied the waters of the Missouri.

More than two decades ago, art historian Moss began researching and putting together the history of Bingham. Her Bingham expertise led her to curate two exhibits on the artist and his influence on America, one at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, and one at the Historic Truman Courthouse.

Dedicated to preserving the legacy of this important Missouri artist with Augusta roots, Moss is now working on a book about him and the work that he created. She has become such an expert on Bingham and his work that some have dubbed her the “Bingham Lady.”

“What I have discovered through Bingham’s portraits is a winding story that is just beginning to unfold,” said Moss of her research on the artist.  “By using Bingham portraits as guideposts, I have found an in-road to history that has charmed me and has the magic to keep me going…Art has the potential not only to make history ‘user-friendly’ but also to direct us to yet undiscovered aspects of our past,” she said.