Ann Rice O'Hanlon's Fresco in Memorial Hall

Ann Rice O' Hanlon

 

              Born and raised in Ashland, Kentucky, Ann Rice O'Hanlon permanently had the drive to pursue art from a young age. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a master’s degree in art, but then achieved a higher level of art training at the California School of Fine Arts since she only considered her degree at UK as "basic training". By the year of 1931 she was wrapping up her years of art schooling and started to begin her career as an artist, focusing on frescos. At this time O’Hanlon was struggling finically, starving for almost a full year. Luckily, for O’Hanlon Roosevelt came around to help out all the struggling artists. During an interview with O’Hanlon regarding what happened during these hard times an interviewer tried to understand what Roosevelt did to help the artists. “Didn't he assign somebody in each major city of each state or community or area, to hire artists for some major project?” O’Hanlon replied “It wasn't a relief thing in that case, it was simply, they said that the government wanted some art work done and I just happened to be the only person, apparently, in Lexington who was available to do a major work on a wall. And so I was chosen” (Oral History Interview).  O’Hanlon soon took full advantage of this opportunity as she was assigned to paint a Fresco at the University of Kentucky’s Memorial Hall.

                Ann Rice O’Hanlon was paid $38.00 a week to work on this fresco, as it was the only thing she really had to do with her time. Her original idea for her painting was incorporate the history standpoint of Kentucky with geography and agriculture that went into the state. This idea rapidly transformed as she received input on what the mural should entail, now starting to gear more towards the people and things that shape who/what Kentucky is today. This fresco that O’Hanlon took on was forty feet by eight feet in height, all to paint on her own. She worked day and night for about eight months slowly adding every detail she could to make it represent Kentucky in the best light. As she completed the Fresco, she was excited for the public to come in and see all the hard work she put in.

         Sadly, the public expressed no interest in the fresco at all as no one would care to see it. The painting was written more about people not caring to see it, rather than how intriguing and historic the painting truly is. Now, as we walk into Memorial Hall we admire the art work of Ann Rice O’Hanlon, but never do realize the true struggle she entailed to accomplish this artwork.