Percy L. Manser (1886-1973)

He was born in England where he studied at the King Charles School of Art in Tumbridge Wells from 1896-1901, before immigrating to Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1904. He also studied at the Pratt Institute Summer School in Ashland, Oregon.

Manser and his Canadian wife at first lived in British Columbia, moving to Hood River, Oregon in 1917, to take up fruit farming. Though he was involved in managing the farm, Manser spent most of his time painting, inspired by the natural beauty of the mountains and valleys of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington. After his first exhibition at the Hood River County Fair in 1919, his regional and national recognition grew, eventually leading to him becoming known as the "Grand Old Man of Hood River Painters" during a nearly sixty year painting career.

Several times during the 1930s he was selected to represent Oregon at the American Artists Professional League exhibition at Rockefeller Center in New York, and ended the decade with exhibitions at the Seattle Art Museum and the Portland Art Museum. He won over 100 awards in exhibitions from New York City to Portland and became one of the most respected artists in the Northwest.

From 1941 to 1956, Manser had several solo exhibitions at the Maryhill Museum of Art, Oregon. He was given another solo exhibition "Grandeur and Light" in 2008 at the museum.

Sources:
home.teleport.com
Maryhill Museum of Art online