Desda Grace Nelson

NELSON, JOHNSTON, ROBERTS, SMITH

Posted By: Larry Nelson (email)
Date: 4/3/2002 at 22:48:28

Desda Grace Nelson was born on 19 August 1933 on her parent’s farm two miles south and three miles west of Stockport, Iowa to Merle Nelson and Roberta Johnston Nelson. Desda attended the country school at the southwest corner of Union township for three years. The next three years she attended school at Birmingham. She then transferred to Stockport High School where she graduated in 1951. After graduating from school she worked on the farm driving tractors and doing other hard work to make money for college. She continued her education at Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa. She married Duane Smith on 28 June 1953 in the Stockport Methodist Church. They had three children, Jodi Sue, Kevin Scott and Brian Sean. She and Duane lived in Fairfield, Iowa for the period (1953-1957) where she worked as a receptionist for the Universal Products Co. They moved to Burlington, Iowa, where Duane worked for the Prudential Insurance Co., and Desda took a job doing bookkeeping for an office supplies company. They stayed there from 1957 till 1960. They returned to Fairfield, Iowa where Duane worked for the Postal Service and Desda worked for Rockwell International, becoming the supervisor for data processing. In 1977 they moved to Casa Grande, AZ, where Duane had taken a transfer due to health. Desda began working for the Arizona City Development Company, eventually becoming the controller/treasurer.

Desda The Artist:

After Desda retired she took an interest in painting. She studied with Bob Eckels of Phoenix and became an accomplish artist. She also took training in portrait painting with Leslie Powell of Reno, NV.

[from a promotional flyer put out by The Bell Tower Gallery]

The Bell Tower Gallery presents Desda Smith

Artist Desda Smith specializes in oil paintings of the southwest, including Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, Indian Pueblos and pottery. Desda’s work reflects a representational portrayal of the Southwest. She feels a special inspiration from the glorious skies and the beauty of nature found in the rugged southwest landscape.

Awards:
First Place Landscape "Echoes of the Past," Casa Grande Ruins National Park Show
Second Place, Landscape "Desert Glory," Pinal County Arts Fair
First Place, Landscape “Cactus Surprise,” Pinal County Invitation Art Show

Collections: [Desda has painting in the following collections]
Scottsdale Jewelry Manufacturing Company
Valley National Bank
Occidental Chemical Corporation
Arizona Pacific Woods Corporation
Arizona City Development Corporation
Jeff Davis Museum
Morton & Wexler
Kinnamon Enterprises, Biltmore Fashion Square
The Honorable Barry Goldwater
Governor J. Fife Symington, III

Education:
Parsons College, Fairfield, Iowa
Scottsdale Artist's School
Mesa Community College
Private Instruction with Well-Known Western Artists

Professional Activity:
Casa Grande Art Museum Board
Santa Cruz Valley Art Association
Scottsdale Artists' School
Arizona Artists' Guild
West Valley Artists, Inc
Art Instructor-Case Grande Parks & Recreation Dept./Arizona City Adult Education
Conducts two-week Art Camp Annually for children 6 to 12

Desda died of cancer on 20 November 1994, in Phoenix, Arizona