Born September 16, 1905 in Clinton, Missouri, Louis Freund and his wife Elsie were pioneers of the Eureka Springs art scene. Louis studied at the University of Missouri Columbia from 1923-1925, then at Washington University in Saint Louis from 1925-1929. He spent an additional year studying in Paris, France before moving back to the United States.
From around 1931-1938, Louis earned a living by painting murals of various American scenes throughout several states, including Arkansas and Missouri. His talents didn’t go unnoticed. In 1938, Freund was hired as an artist-in-residence at Hendrix College (Conway, Arkansas) and remained in this position until 1941, when he was hired to run the college’s art department until 1946. While serving as artist-in-residence at Hendrix, Louis and Elsie (another artist featured in our collection) were wed in 1939.
The Freunds spent many summers in Eureka Springs and relished their time getting to know the town and its residents. It’s no understatement to say their love of Eureka Springs equaled their love of art, so much so that they established a school of art they operated during the summers from 1940-1951.
Around 1967, Louis and Elsie entered “retirement” by establishing the Eureka Springs Art Gallery. But long before they established this gallery, they cemented themselves as the proverbial King and Queen of the Eureka Springs art scene. If not for the Freunds, Eureka Springs may not be the eclectic, vibrant, and immensely creative community it is today.
In addition to being a muralist, Freund was a draftsman, easel painter, and printmaker whose style uses thick, defined lines and solemn colors to evoke certain emotions in the viewer. His earlier work is more explorative and moved toward more traditional styles later in life. Louis passed away on December 22, 1999 in Little Rock and is buried in Eureka Springs.
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