Alf Dunn

A story about Alfred Dunn in the December 21, 2000, issue of the “Latah Edge” begins, “Boy Scout, school bus driver, part-tie gold miner, bootlegger’s assistant, and FBI artist are some of the occupations Alfred Dunn has held in his long lifetime. Many local residents know Mr. Dunn through his painting but fewer may be aware that he is a gifted storyteller and has led an exciting and fulfilling life.The Latah County Historical Society is bringing his story (a 28 page feature article) to light in its recent issue of the Latah Legacy.”

The nationally known watercolor artist was born in Los Angeles, California in 1909 and grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho. He graduated from the University of Idaho with a B.A. in Art in 1936. After some work experience in commercial art, he joined the University of Idaho faculty in 1941 and devoted thirty-three years of his professional life to the instruction of students in painting with a focus on scenes of Idaho.

Alf Dunn reports, “I became interested in art from the time I was able to hold a pencil. We had no toys at Soldier, and every amusement Mother suggested would have some kind of religious connection. One day she was going to help us build an ark. She read the story out of the Bible about Noah and the building of the ark. That meant a lot of animals to make. She was trying to draw various animals on pieces of cardboard that she’d saved. I could see that I could do better than that, so I was drawing all of these animals to make the ark. I was very young, and that is my earliest recollection of any art experience.”

Admirers across the nation have acquired his paintings. One even hangs in the City Hall of Moscow, Russia. His watercolors have been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute, in the former Soviet Union, Iran, France and South Africa in addition to numerous museums and galleries in the West, in schools, corporation offices and private collections. He has designed and illustrated several books including “Beckoning the Bold,” a history of Idaho and “Beacon for Mountain and Plain,” a history of the University of Idaho. His service in design, illustration and paintings are legend at the University of Idaho. He did the artwork for all the University publications for over thirty years. The paintings of Alf Dunn have been represented in traveling exhibits to foreign countries sponsored by the U.S. Office of Information.

Mr. Dunn retired in 1974, but continues to paint, speak and exhibit. He was elected to the University of Idaho Alumni Hall of Fame in 1982 and honored as an “Idaho Treasure” at a banquet in October 1999 by the University of Idaho Alumni and Retirees Associations.The Latah County Historical Society in Moscow has sold note cards with reprints of his paintings for years and honored him with a yearlong exhibit on his life and paintings in 1999-2000. He continues to receive awards and on October 19, 2000, received the Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award.

by Dee Klenck