Lee’s Summit History Museum (Old Post Office) Mural – Lee’s Summit MO

Description

The old post office building in Lee’s Summit is the home of an original Section of Fine Arts mural “Pastoral” painted by Ted Gilien in 1940. The building, which was purchased and used as City Hall from the 1960’s to 2006, is still owned by the City of Lee’s Summit but is on a short-term lease to ReDiscover, a mental health organization, for offices. With the passage of a recent bond issue, the City will be turning the structure over to the Lee’s Summit Historical Society for use as a museum. When the new City Hall was constructed, the mural was going to be hung in a place of honor in the new building. However, keeping the mural in the museum was considered to be the best and right solution.

The scene is that of an idealized farm family with mother and son on the left carrying a bucket and basket with the father tending to horses on the right.  There is the hint of precisionism in the barn.  The family is going about their daily chores with determination.

Ted Gilien was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1914 and first worked as an assistant to a muralist on Ellis Island.  He died in Los Angeles, 1967.