Three Places in Arizona
Sharing Effie's Art in Multiple Locations
by Steven Carlson, Curator
Welcome to another EFFIEgram tracing the art and life of Arizona’s earliest Impressionist desert landscape painter - Effie Anderson Smith (1869-1955).
IN THIS EFFIEgram…
Effie’s art is back in the Tucson area for the first time since 2019.
“Impressions of the Desert” - with 21 desert paintings by Effie - continues in Bisbee.
New display of Effie’s art Prints is featured at the Douglas Visitors Center.
Join us for a ZOOM Talk entitled “Art in a Mining Camp” - Saturday, June 13th.
Donor Spotlight - An Effie Angel Society ‘Super Supporter’
More of Effie’s Art in more Places - Thanks to Your Support!
As a traveling art collection that does not have a ‘permanent’ gallery home of its own, the benefit of being a 21st century traveling museum, as it were, is our ability to share Effie’s art with new audiences almost every time we open an exhibit in a new place. And for the first time, we are now truly exhibiting in multiple places simultaneously with the addition of our fine art prints of key works by Effie Anderson Smith.
Until now our exhibits have consisted of Effie’s original oil paintings that are part of our collection and original paintings by Effie loaned to us by our supporters and friends, many of whom have historic family connections to the artist as the painting came down in their family from a grandparent who knew Effie - or - paintings loaned from folks who have discovered Effie’s art online or at one of our exhibits and began collecting. It’s always a thrill to meet someone who has caught a serious case of Effie-thusiasm that way!
Today - I’m pleased to announce a NEW KIND of exhibit of Effie’s art that would have been almost impossible without the latest digital technology - allowing us to exhibit in three or more places simultaneously.
Over the past 4 years I’ve been involved in a project to create digital photo scans of Effie’s most popular paintings - not only for archival purposes - but also as a way of making it possible for us to place Effie Anderson Smith’s art in more locations than ever before so more people can see and appreciate Effie’s timeless Arizona art. And not just a photograph of a painting - but one that gives you the experience of seeing the original, complete with the artist’s brush strokes and textures.
And now - for the first time ever - the Effie Anderson Smith Museum & Archive is presenting an entire exhibit of ultra high quality fine art prints - along with Effie’s inspiring life story - enabling us to offer multiple exhibits of Effie’s art across Southern Arizona.
In addition to our exhibit of Effie’s original paintings at the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, and our friends at Douglas Historical Society with their permanent collection of Effie’s paintings there, we will have three other locations where you can view Effie’s digital fine art prints.
On Tuesday, June 2 we opened The Desert Art of Effie Anderson Smith - an exhibit of 12 Fine Art Prints featuring E.A. Smith’s most popular paintings from the 1920s, 30s and 40s highlighting familiar vistas in Cochise, Pima and Pinal Counties as well as the Grand Canyon. This first of its kind exhibit will run from June 2 to August 31, 2026 and is hosted by the Oro Valley Public Library - Oro Valley, Arizona.
The Oro Valley exhibit on Tucson’s north side is a companion exhibit to out main show in Bisbee, promoting that display and also the 9 Effie originals always on view as part of the Douglas Historical Society’s permanent collection.
Other prints displays will be on view at the Muheim Heritage House in Bisbee, which allows you to see Effie’s art in a house museum that is very much like the homes Effie was creating her art for during her lifetime. We have archival evidence that the Smiths and Muheims knew each other, with Effie’s husband A.Y. Smith involved in at least one business deal with successful Bisbee businessman, Joseph Muheim, so it seems appropriate that three of Effie’s art prints have gone on display at the Muheim Heritage House Museum.
Additionally, the Douglas Visitors Center in Douglas, Arizona will have a display of Effie’s fine art prints on view featuring familiar Cochise County vistas known to local residents. We are grateful for the opportunity to introduce more people to Effie Anderson Smith’s art at these locations.
As a friend and supporter of the Effie Anderson Smith Museum & Archive your generous financial contributions are making ALL these new prints exhibits possible - enabling us to share Effie’s art at more locations!
Art in a Mining Camp - My forthcoming ZOOM Talk - June 13th @ 11am AZ time…
Our year-long exhibit of 21 of Effie’s timeless desert paintings continues at Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, through January 10th, 2027. This summer, come on up out of the heat to enjoy Bisbee’s cooler climate (elevation 5,538 ft.) and see Effie’s great Arizona art in the heart of the old mining town, known for it’s food, fun and stunning canyon setting.
I’m excited that this next Saturday, June 13th at 11am Arizona time, I’ll be introduced to Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum’s global webinar audience by the Museum’s Executive Director - Annie Graeme Larkin. I’ll highlight Effie’s inspiring life story and her relationships with the many younger women art students and nascent arts communities developing in the mining camps and smelter towns of Arizona and beyond. The money was flowing in those early days of the Arizona Territory into the mid 20th century with many newly wealthy people looking to beautify their homes with Arizona inspired art. Effie was ready for them.
You may SIGN-UP HERE to view our Art in a Mining Camp webinar presented by the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum. I’ll speak for about 45 minutes during which time you’ll see a rich slide deck of art by Effie and many other meritorious women artists of her circle of students from the 1920s, 30s and 40s with historic photos, followed by your questions. And keep in mind the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum is open EVERY DAY M-F from 10a to 4p with its amazing collection and this year hosting our Effie Museum display. It takes more than ticket admissions to keep an amazing museum like this going.
Please consider supporting Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum through their website and mention you appreciate them hosting and sharing Effie’s art to Arizona and the world in 2026.
Donor Spotlight - From the Effie Angel Society…
The Effie Angel Society is not really a club or group - but rather - an informal honorific designation I freely apply to those folks who have generously given of their time, talents, resources and frequently their long-held family treasures (Effie’s art!) in the cause of aiding the Effie Museum project. The honorees already know who they are by what they have done - but I am going to start making sure they know - and you know - who they are and what they have done - if they don’t mind the spotlight.
In Spring of 2020, as we were all wondering what was unfolding with the pandemic at that time, I was delighted to receive a surprise e-mail from an Effie painting owner in New Mexico inquiring if I knew about a certain painting by E.A. Smith. The person behind the e-mail was Mary Sweetser Neville Hayes, whose questions about a painting handed down in her family for generations was a source of some curiosity for her.
It would be nearly 4 years before we could meet in 2024 - and I was able to see this wonderful painting that her grandmother - Goldie Stark - had passed down to Mary’s mother and then on to her.
Mary’s grandparents appear to have connected with Effie while they resided in Douglas starting in 1938 to take advantage of the schools for their children, and with ranching activities near Clifton starting in 1941 they later moved to New Mexico and settled in Deming by 1944. Effie’s adult son Lewis was working near Clifton at the Morenci Copper Mine from the late 1930s in to the 1950s, so Effie and the Starks probably saw each other in all these locations.
Mary eventually decided to gift her beautiful family painting of the Entrance to Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains (undated but probably late 1940s) to the Effie Anderson Smith Museum & Archive.
Not only has Mary been generous with the amazing gift of that painting and other generous financial support since, Mary has driven more miles from her home in New Mexico’s San Juan County to see our Effie exhibits in recent years more than any other supporter I know of (outside of our group of Effie Museum board members).
For these extraordinary expressions of support, Mary earned her ‘wings’ some time ago to join other Effie Angels (and Archangels) who have been our foundational Super Supporters in advancing the Effie Museum project since its beginnings.
Deming - Spring 2024
Mary writes…
I always loved a painting that hung in Granny Stark’s house - my mom then had it. When she passed I acquired it and had it hanging in my home. One day I researched the artist mark and learned of Effie and her history….
…Goldie and John Stark lived in southern Arizona - John being a grandson of Brannick Riggs. She bought the painting from Effie in Douglas in the late 40’s.
It was a pleasure to donate her painting to the collection as that is where it belongs, and will be well cared for. This happened in Deming, NM where AY and Effie lived before moving to Arizona with his mining job (I grew up in Deming) - Steven was having a small exhibit there, and I was home for Old Timers, an amazing annual reunion.
Wickenburg - Winter 2026
Mary continues…
When Steven told me about the Wickenburg exhibit, I was thrilled that I could plan a trip from the Four Corners of NM to see it on my way to crew for a hot air balloon at the Lake Havasu festival. It was so exciting to see it paired with a very similar painting which had the exact same frame.
Also in that exhibit was a booklet [early lease for the Commonwealth Mine property] donated by another Riggs relative [Catherine Place - also an Effie Angel] who found a nice collection of papers in her mother's materials. Such a joy to help expand Steven's [Effie Anderson Smith Museum & Archive] collection.
Bisbee - Spring 2026
Finally, from Mary…
The exhibit in Bisbee was very exciting as well - as our family has Bisbee stories! All of Steven’s efforts are appreciated by artists, locals, and those who learn about Effie.
- Mary Sweetser Neville Hayes
Thank you, Mary - for all your support and encouragement of the Effie Anderson Smith Museum & Archive project.
As Effie Museum Curator, it’s amazing to me to see that several descendants of the Arizona pioneer families who knew Effie personally and acquired some of Effie’s best art works are still stepping forward to support Effie’s artistic legacy - our exhibits - and help us expand our collection of Effie’s timeless desert art. They passionately understand that we need to continue sharing this artistic legacy with a growing audience of Arizonans and others who love these paintings, too, and to help us find our permanent gallery home in Tucson in the near future, while we remain active in our educational exhibits in the mostly rural communities near Effie’s home of 45 years in Cochise County
That said, even more people without any family connection to Effie have also discovered Effie’s art and realize it belongs to everyone - and must be preserved and made available for all to see and enjoy.
Thanks to Mary Sweetser Hayes for her very heartfelt and inspiring Effie-thusiasm and continuing support as an Effie Angel!
Please join us for Art in a Mining Camp - my forthcoming ZOOM Talk - Saturday, June 13th at 11:00am Arizona time.
I’ll be introduced by Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum’s Executive Director - Annie Graeme Larkin. I will highlight Effie’s inspiring life story and her relationships with the many younger women art students and nascent arts communities developing in the mining camps and smelter towns of Arizona and beyond.
You may SIGN-UP HERE to view our Art in a Mining Camp webinar presented by the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum.
News of more events later this summer and fall in association with our Impressions of the Desert exhibit at Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum will be forthcoming in future EFFIEgrams.
Please help us expand appreciation of Effie’s timeless desert art by SHARING this EFFIEgram with a friend!
Our newest art booklet Desert Paradise features Effie’s art and the most complete biography of E.A. Smith in print! Available on our website. Desert Paradise is yours as a Thank You Gift for your kind and generous support of our expanding exhibit activities with the Effie Anderson Smith Museum & Archive.
