A Chronology of Sr. Lucia Wiley's Art and Achievements

Mural Commissions

 1953 St. John's Episcopal Church, Milwaukie, Oregon. "The Woman at the Well." Casein and dry color on gesso-sized plaster. 10ft x 12ft.

1950 Tillamook County Court House, Tillamook, Oregon. South entrance hall, "Building of the Morning Star." True fresco. True fresco. 28ft. x 13ft. Commission came by invitation from the community of Tillamook.

1947 Post Office, Ashland, Wisconsin. "Northern Nativity." Oil on canvass. 18ft. x 10ft. This painting was never installed due to the objections of the postmaster.

1943 Post Office, Tillamook, Oregon. "Captain Gray's First Visit to the Oregon Coast." Egg tempera on gesso-sized plaster. 7ft. x 12ft. This commission was awarded through the Section of Fine Arts, Treasury Dept. 48 States Competition.

1941 Post Office, Shelbyville, IL. "The Shelby County Fair." Egg tempera on gesso sized panel. 7ft. x 14ft. Section of Fine Arts Award.

1940 Moorhead High School, Moorhead, MN. "Making Camp on the Red River Trail." Oil on Canvas. 12ft. x 8ft. WPA. In 2018, this painting was discovered behind a wall in the Townsite Center (formerly the Moorhead High School building) and is being restored.

1939 Post Office, Long Prairie, MN. "Indians Gathering Wild Rice." True fresco. 7ft. x 15ft. Award, Section of Fine Arts Award.

1938 Trophy Hall, Armory, Minneapolis, MN. "History of the Minnesota National Guard." True fresco. 12ft. x 12ft. WPA.

1937 Post Office, International Falls, MN. "Early Logging at Koochiching Falls." True Fresco. 12ft. x 8ft. Section of Fine Arts Award.

1934 Miller Vocational High School, Minneapolis, MN. "Youth Marches On." True Fresco. See: Who Owns a Work of Art?

1932 Foyer, Exhibition Hall, School of Arch. and Allied Arts, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. "Fishing on the Columbia River." True Fresco. Each wall was 13ft. x 17ft. In partial fulfillment of masters of fine arts program.



Exhibitions (a partial listing)

 2021 "Lucia Wiley: Portraits of America" at the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum, Tillamook, Oregon, February 2-April 31, 2021. Information: Tillamook County Pioneer Museum Re-opens with Lucia Wiley Exhibit

2018 "Memorializing the Morning Star" at the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum, Tillamook, Oregon, July 1-August 26, 2018; included several paintings, cartoons for her "Building of the Morning Star" mural, and a drawing for her "Captain Gray" mural.

2012 Tenuous, Though Real at the Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 23-Sept 23, 2012; included "The Winter of the Blue Snow," 1942, oil on illustration board by Sr. Lucia.

2009 "April 2009 Artist of the Month: Sister Lucia Wiley," Bay City Arts Center, Bay City, Oregon

2008 "By the People, for the People: New Deal Art at the Weisman Art Museum," Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 8-July 27, 2008; included the following works by Sr. Lucia:
  • Preliminary sketches from the portfolio, "Paul Bunyan, All American"
  • "The Seven Axemen in the Leaning Forest"
  • "The Double-drive in the Twin River Country"
  • "The Chantey Boy and the Deacon's Seat"
  • "The Winter of the Blue Snow"
  • "Jam on Jerry's Rock in Round River Country"
  • Design for silk screen print from the series "The Indian Finds His Food"
  • "Gathering Wild Rice-Ojibway Tribes"
    "Don't overlook Wiley's small gem, a colorfully stylized gouache impression of Ojibwe Indians gathering wild rice." -Doug Hanson, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
    "...Lucia Wiley's series based on the legend of Paul Bunyan--and, more broadly, the world of logging--caught my eye. She based a series of post-office murals on the oil illustrations, which resemble woodcuts in style. In one, Bunyan nearly fills the canvas. On one knee, head bowed, he cradles a young ox. The other images in the series swirl with energy, but the simple exchange between ox and man is oddly touching." -Stephanie Xenos, The Morning After Blog of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

1955 "I entered the convent in NYC and did not exhibit until the past few years, in which recent smaller works were exhibited (and all have been sold) from our own gallery here at 621."

1955 "Four Artists." Staff of summer school of the arts through the University of Washington.

1953 Portland Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum, Minneapolis Art Museum, participated in annual exhibitions until joining the convent.

1952 Solo exhibition, Mural Show, Portland Art Museum.

1952 Solo exhibition, Watercolor show, Reed College, Portland, OR

1951 Gold Medal Exhibition, group of eight medalists. Architecture League, NY.

1947 Walker Art Galleries, Minneapolis, MN.

1945 Solo exhibition. Portland Art Museum. Portland, OR.

1943 Mural Group. The Whitney Museum. New York.

1943 "The Edward Bruce Memorial Collection." Corcoran Gallery. Washington, DC.

1943 "92 Americans." Collection of Hudson Walker, Minneapolis, MN.

1942 "Artists for Victory Show." The Metropolitan Museum of Art. NY.

1942 Chicago Institute of Art. "The Clam Bake" from the Met. exhibit.

1941 "200 American Watercolors." National Gallery, Washington, DC.

1936 "University of Oregon Alumni." Portland Museum of Art. Portland, OR.

1935 "Murals for Public Buildings." Corcoran Gallery. Washington, DC

1935 "Mural Painting in America." Grand Central Art Galleries, NY.

1935 Mural show. Bennington College. Vermont.

1934 International Print Show. Seattle Art Museum.

1934 Mural Exhibition. Corcoran Gallery. Washington, DC.

Various exhibitions with the National Society of Mural Painters and the Section of Fine Arts of the Fed. Govt.



Academic Record

 1933 Advanced Composition. Scholarship student at the Minneapolis School of Art.

1932 MFA. University of Oregon.

1928 BA. University of Oregon.



Scholarships and Distinctions

 1988 "Lucia Day." sponsored by the Tillamook community.

1986 National DAR Silver Medal.

1932 Carnegie Scholarship.

1926 Delta Phi Delta National Honorary Art Fraternity.



Teaching Positions

 1960-present Conducted three day spiritual retreats throughout the United States, Quebec and Panama.

1960-1980 Taught in the private schools run by the Community of the Holy Spirit.

1946-1955 Full-time faculty of Pacific College of Fine Arts. Portland, OR.

1943-1946 Ran own art school in Tillamook, OR.




Paintings and prints in various public and private collections.

Image above: detail from "The Building of the Morning Star" ©1950 Lucia Wiley

text ©1997 Sr. Lucia Wiley, CHS
additional material added 2008, 2009 and 2014




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