Who was Nellie Gail Moulton? Pioneer, Artist and so much more.

MARCH 13 – MAY 31, 2020

Who was Nellie Gail Moulton?

Pioneer, Artist and so much more.

Who was Nellie Gail Moulton?

Pioneer, Artist and so much more.

March 13, 2020 – May 31, 2020

at Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens curated by Maurine St. Gaudens Studios Who was Nellie Gail Moulton? is underwritten by

with support from

<< Opposite: Laguna Main Beach, circa 1935, Collection of Stephanie Hibbits courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Curators’ Statement Who was Nellie Gail Moulton? This was the question we initially asked ourselves while working on our book Emerging from the Shadows; A Survey of Women Artists Working in California, 1860-1960.

It goes without saying that the Moulton name is synonymous with the history of Orange County, but it certainly came as a surprise to us to learn that the Moulton family’s matriarch had been an accomplished artist in her own right.

We first encountered the story of Nellie Gail Moulton in a 1939 issue of a long out of print magazine called The Western Woman; a publication like most of the women it profiled had been forgotten by all but a few historians. In a short but insightful article, we became fascinated by Nellie Gail’s story; not only for her work as an artist but for her involvement in the development and operation of the Moulton Ranch. Here was a true pioneer woman who was the embodiment of the strong, independent and talented women we had hoped to discover and include in the book.

In doing the book, our mission from the beginning was to rediscover and bring out of the shadows the unknown and under-recognized California women artists whose work had been largely lost or forgotten beyond family or a few insightful collectors.

As we quickly discovered, the project became all-consuming based on the remarkable number of artists that we encountered. Nellie Gail’s life and art was a perfect example of the excitement and at times frustration we encountered in our search for these artists.

As the exhibition’s curators, we are honored to present this retrospective of the work of Nellie Gail Moulton – the first comprehensive exhibition of her work to be shown in over fifty years.

We want to thank the staff at the Casa Romantica for allowing us this opportunity, and to the various public institutions and collectors who have graciously loaned paintings to this exhibition. Finally, our sincere gratitude goes to the Moulton family whose enthusiasm for Nellie Gail Moulton is exemplary and a testament to her legacy.

— Maurine St. Gaudens and Joseph Morsman

About the Curators

Maurine St. Gaudens grew up surrounded by art and creativity.

She is the granddaughter of noted San Francisco jeweler, Maurice Saint-Gaudens, and the third-cousin of the esteemed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Maurine’s artistic background led to her career as a respected fine arts conservator and the establishment of the Maurine St. Gaudens Studio in Pasadena, California.

In conjunction with her professional work as a fine arts conservator, Maurine has served as guest curator and consultant for numerous art exhibitions throughout Southern California and as an adviser and manager for the estates of various artists.

Joseph Morsman has over twenty years of experience working in the motion picture industry, beginning his career at the IndieProd Company as an assistant to producers Daniel Melnick and Allen Shapiro. Joseph later worked as a development executive at Daniel Melnick Productions and currently is an independent producer developing original content for feature films and documentaries.

He is active in a number of Los Angeles area arts organizations and served on the board of directors of the Prints and Drawings Council at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, including two consecutive terms as council chairman.

Maurine St. Gaudens and Joseph Morsman recently collaborated on the book Emerging from the Shadows: A Survey of Women Artists Working in California, 1860-1960.

Nellie Gail Moulton Biography Nellie Maud Gail was born on December 8, 1878 in Irving, Kansas as the daughter of John and Prudence Gail. After her mother’s death, her father brought the family to Southern California and became the manager of El Toro Mercantile Store and postmaster for the town of El Toro.

After earning her teaching credentials, Nellie worked as a teacher in the Charleston school district near Seattle, Washington prior to joining her family in California where she met her future husband, Lewis F. Moulton.

An enterprising young rancher, Moulton in partnership developed what was then known as Rancho Niguel, married twenty-nine-year-old Nellie Gail in 1908. They had two daughters, Charlotte and Louise. Together the Moultons established a lasting presence in Orange County continuing to expand their operation which centered on raising sheep and dry farming, a successful enterprise which in time became known as the Moulton Ranch.

Nellie’s artistic endeavors began at a young age, a passion she pursued throughout her life with the ranch serving as one of the finest backdrops for any artist. During her long career, she continued to hone her craft with notable California artists and friends such as William Wendt, Anna Hills, Frank Cuprien, and Edgar Payne who inspired her work as en plein air artist which she used in capturing the rich lush countryside and the majestic vistas of early California and the American West.

An avid sketch artist, her drawings, a number of which are seen in this exhibition, inspired many of her finest oil paintings. Nellie Gail Moulton was a member of Women Painters of the West, and a lifetime member of the Laguna Beach Art Association (Laguna Art Museum) and served as the latter’s president from 1948-49. As an avid traveler, Nellie viewed the world through her travels, rich and rewarding experiences she captured in her artwork.

Nellie belongs to a larger movement of early California female artists who were often marginalized for their work and now are being recognized for their accomplishments and commitment to the arts. Her work is included in public and private collections throughout California and she was given a retrospective in 1968 by the Laguna Beach Art Association. Recently her work was exhibited in Something Revealed; California Women Artists Emerge, 1860-1960 at the Pasadena Museum of History.

Her philanthropic work as a founding member of the Laguna College of Art & Design, her contributions to the building of the Moulton Theatre for the Laguna Playhouse, and her generous endowment donation to Chapman University (which was then Chapman College), serves as a lasting legacy of her generosity and devotion to the arts.

Left: Map of the Moulton Ranch, El Toro, California prior to 1935 Above: Nellie Gail Moulton photograph reproduced from The Western Woman, Volume IX - Number 10, October, November, December, 1939 Below: Nellie Gail Moulton and children riding in a horse and buggy on the Moulton Ranch property, c. 1915

Above: Nellie Gail Moulton, circa 1915, photographed at Moulton Ranch. Courtesy of the Moulton Museum.

Left: Nellie Gail Moulton photographed outside the family’s ranch house, c. 1920 Collection of the Moulton Museum Below: Nellie Gail Moulton photographed overlooking Horseshoe Falls (towards Canada), Niagara Falls, New York, c. 1930.

Message from Moulton Family In this retrospective show, we are honored to feature Nellie Gail Moulton as a prominent en plein air artist who studied with the masters. As our matriarch, she was truly a pioneer. A keen business woman, prolific artist, caring teacher, dedicated mother and passionate world traveler, Nellie Gail Moulton was ahead of her time.

As owner and operator of Moulton Ranch, her philanthropy, dedication to the arts and commitment to education were outstanding models to our family, Orange County and society at large. For many years our family has been collecting and conserving her artwork and we are thrilled to be exhibiting her creations with you at historic Casa Romantica.

We hope you appreciate her wonderful ability to translate her love of California and her international travel experiences onto drawing paper, artist’s board, and canvas. Enjoy the show!

— The Moulton Family

“In the legacy left to me, in the name of my husband, in memory of his humanitarianism, I have endeavored, in my donations to community projects, to help, to, hopefully, encourage the spirit of creativeness and enjoyment of the arts, for there is one thing I believe will never fade into oblivion – beauty in literature, painting, music, the drama - no matter how some, for whatever motive, will agitate to bring true talent to ridicule – those who appreciate and know its worth will never let it die.”

— Nellie Gail Moulton

Nellie Gail Moulton Exhibition Catalog Untitled (California Coastline), c. 1920 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Study for a California landscape, c. 1930 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Waves Crashing on Rocks, c.

1930 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Fishing Boats, c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

South Rim Grand Canyon, c. 1940 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Shack at Fisherman’s Cove, Laguna, c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

California Coast, c. 1925 Oil on artist’s board, inscribed ‘Mrs. Moulton’ (verso) Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Untitled (A Panoramic Landscape), c. 1925 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

California Hillside, c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Collection of the Moulton Museum

The Grand Canyon, c. 1940 Oil on canvas Courtesy of Franklin (Woody) and Jane Barnes

Lily Pond and the Casa Del Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, c. 1930 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Woods Cove Beach, Laguna, c. 1935 Oil on canvas Collection of Jared and Kate Mathis

Sunset, c. 1925 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Laguna Main Beach, c. 1935 Oil on board Collection of Stephanie Hibbits

Santa Anita Racetrack, c. 1940 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Stephanie Hibbits

Bison Roundup, c. 1930 Oil on canvas Collection of Jared and Kate Mathis

Net Fishing, c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Marion Mathis

Dry Farming, c. 1945 Oil on masonite Courtesy of Franklin (Woody) and Jane Barnes

Crashing Waves, Pacific Coast, c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Laguna Shore, California, c.

1930 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Three Arch Bay, c. 1925 Oil on board Collection of Jared and Kate Mathis

Rip Tide, c. 1930 Oil on artist’s board Collection of DJ Mathis

Aliso Woods Canyon, c. 1928 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Bixby Creek Bridge, Big Sur, Monterey, c. 1940 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Barney and Diane Barnes

Untitled (Laguna, California), c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Boats in the Harbor, c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Collection of DJ Mathis

Forest Stream, c. 1940 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of the Moulton Museum

Coastal Cottages, Three Arch Bay, c. 1930 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Shelli Andreski and Courtesy of the Gail Family Collection

Mission Garden – San Juan Capistrano, c. 1920 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Shelli Andreski and Courtesy of the Gail Family Collection

Cliffside House, Malibu, c. 1945 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Shelli Andreski and Courtesy of the Gail Family Collection

Nellie’s Gates - Moulton Ranch House, c. 1947 Oil on canvas Collection of Saddleback Area Historical Society and Courtesy of OC Parks Collection

Sketch - Grand Canyon South Rim, c. 1940 Graphite on paper Collection of the Moulton Museum

Sketch - Shack at Fisherman’s Cove, Laguna, c. 1935 Graphite on paper Collection of the Moulton Museum

Sketch - Ranch Barn and Windmill, c. 1935 Graphite on paper Collection of the Moulton Museum

Sketch - Woods Cove Beach, Laguna, c. 1935 Graphite on paper Collection of the Moulton Museum

Sketch - Ranch Barn, c. 1935 Graphite on paper Collection of the Moulton Museum

Sketch - Santa Anita Racetrack, c. 1940 Graphite on paper Collection of the Moulton Museum

Sketch - Shack at Fisherman’s Cove, Laguna, c. 1935 Graphite on paper Collection of the Moulton Museum

Sketch - Harbor Scene with Boats and Wharf, c. 1935 Graphite on paper Collection of the Moulton Museum

Hawaiian Coastline, c. 1908 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Jared and Kate Mathis

Waterfall above South Lake, High Sierras, California, c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Jared and Kate Mathis

Forest Glen with Rushing Stream, c. 1935 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Stephanie Hibbits

Untitled (outdoor amphitheater), c. 1925 Oil on board Collection of Lewis and Christyn Mathis

Ruins of the Great Stone Church, Mission San Juan Capistrano, c.

1920 Oil on board Collection of Lewis and Christyn Mathis

Colonnade and Garden, Mission San Juan Capistrano, c. 1920 Oil on board Collection of Lewis and Christyn Mathis

Three Arch Bay, c. 1930 Oil on board Collection of Lewis and Christyn Mathis

Untitled, c. 1930 Oil on artist’s board Courtesy of Stephen and Linda Sundvold

Seal Rock, Laguna, c. 1930 Oil on canvas Courtesy of Festival of the Arts Permanent Art Collection

MISSION STATEMENT Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and is the historic home of the founder of the City of San Clemente.

Casa Romantica provides programs for all ages in arts, music, history, and horticulture and is a premier awardwinning Southern California cultural center.

Thanks to the Casa Romantica Board of Directors for their support: Ruth DeNault, President David Westendorf , Vice President Gordon H. Olson, Treasurer Bonnie Koch, Secretary Maggie Chang Anne Debs Noel Helm Gayle Pereira-Higgins David Peter Scot Proud Kitty Schmitt Tony Spriggs Greg Stoutenburgh Debra Wilkens John Wohlfiel Guy Varriano †, Founding Board President Emeritus Ron Redmond, Board President Emeritus Julia Di Giovanni †, Founding Board Member Emeritus Judy Swayne †, Co-founder Emeritus Anthony Iorio, Emeritus Patrick Griffin, Emeritus Amy Behrens, Executive Director of Casa Romantica

Available for purchase The Moulton Museum has the following paintings available as an unframed giclée on canvas for purchase through their website: MoultonMuseum.org Visit the Casa Romantica Gift Shop to see a sample giclée of Laguna Main Beach.

Laguna Main Beach, c. 1935 Oil on board Collection of Stephanie Hibbits 16 x 18 inches $425*

Santa Anita Racetrack, c. 1940 Oil on artist’s board Collection of Stephanie Hibbits 20 x 24 inches $450*

Rip Tide, c. 1930 Oil on artist’s board Collection of DJ Mathis 22 x 27 inches $475*

*Prices do not include separate shipping and handling charges.

415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672 (949) 498-2139 | www.CasaRomantica.org Facebook/Instagram/Twitter: @casaromanticasc