Cunningham Memorial Art Gallery

In 1956 the small city of Bakersfield became host to a lovely art gallery created to honor the memory of Marion Osborn Cunningham (1908-1948), daughter of one of the city's founding fathers and most influential businessmen, Walter Osborn.

Interestingly, Ruth Emerson (1860-1960) was also a formidable artistic talent residing in Bakersfield at the time. Ruth was featured in Maurine St. Gauden's scholarly work about women artists in California. It seems Ruth is still selling her work! She'd be so happy! https://earlycal.com/products/ruth-emerson-gladioli-still-life-oil-on-canvas-c-1940-p2741?_pos=2&_sid=d5ede877f&_ss=r

The Cunningham became the Bakersfield Museum of Art in 1990. You can read more here: https://www.bmoa.org/about