Art in the Family: Moon

My grandmother, Mary Lavinia Wands, was called Vin or Vinnie by her sister, Mazie by many friends and neighbors, but in her letters to my mother, she always signed herself, Moon.

She was born in 1895 near Syracuse, NY on a farm in Collamer. The "Art Gene" manifested itself at an early age with her drawings of barnyard animals and family pets.

Here she is in the studio at Syracuse University, 1916, where she received a BA in painting.

She was awarded the Herman Gee Scholarship which was to have allowed her to study abroad after graduation, but WWI, prevented it. She also won a scholarship for study at the Art Student's League in New York City, which she did after graduation. Her honors are described in the clipping below:

Below some samples of her student work.

Moon enjoyed cartooning.

Pen and ink sketch of Moon's childhood dog, Jack.

Moon aways had a twinkle in her eye and had an impish and witty sense of humor. She made these critters, all called Emerson from the time she was in college. They became a family tradition. The bodies are shaped with tin cans and the extremities from rolls of newspaper, all covered in velvet, decorated with buttons and yarn or fur.

Mary Wands Campbell and Herbert Campbell - Wedding Photo -1920 - Tully, NY. After their marriage, they lived in East Athens, PA by the Susquehanna River.

After graduating Moon did some artwork to be used for a campus publication. Below is a letter from one of her instructors thanking her for the work and predicting a bright future for her in her chosen field.

727 Sumner Ave.
May 15th, 1921

My dear Mrs. Campbell-

I was very glad indeed, when upon my return from a weekend fishing trip last Sunday, I found your drawings for the commencement folder awaiting me. Could scarcely wait to open the package so keen was my anticipation of what I was to find and let me tell you that I was in no way disappointed. On the other hand, they were even better than I had imagined they would be. In fact, don’t see how they could be bettered in any way.

You are a clever, capable, and distinctively original young lady with wonderful possibilities ahead if you will only reach out and grasp them. I can see no immediate limitations and no reasons why you should not make a name and a fortune in real big dollars for yourself.

You know there are plenty of people who can draw well enough but only a few who have real ideas or an original point of view. You have all these qualifications and a refined sense of humor to boot and whether you follow the more serious or lighter vein, there is surely a place waiting for your efforts in not only the art world but the world at large and I believe it is your duty to fill the place.

Prof. Scott was delighted with the drawing as was Mr. Brewster who hustled them away to the engraver at once. The Printers strike may interfere with our plans but we are hoping to have the folder our and ready for distribution about June 1st and I will see that you get one of the first editions and if possible a set of proofs.

If you do not see the Syracuse papers you will be glad to hear that the Painters were awarded the cup for the best float in the Moving up day parade – a monkey in a palm the with the caption, “We take to the higher branches”.

Picnic is hovering just ahead of us and then examinations and commencement. Don’t it make you a little homesick for Syracuse to think about these things. I hope it always will and that you will also feel a desire once in a while to see some of your old professors.

Thanking you for the drawings and hoping to see you in Syracuse soon.

Yours most sincerely,

C. Bertram Walker

Moon painted many impressionistic images of Athens and the surrounding area. She was an avid gardener with a special love of gladioli, and served as the humor editor of the American Gladiolus Review, creating cartoons and humorous poems.

This is me sitting by the barn with a bouquet from Moon's garden, ca. 1952.