Gardena high school collection

A now-valuable collection of early California Impressionist paintings, it is owned by Gardena High School in Los Angeles. The paintings were acquired beginning with the graduating class in 1919, a year the school principal, John Whitely, suggested that each senior class purchase a painting as a parting gift to the school. Students held fund raisers and then visited artists' studios to make the selections. Once the selection was made, studio talks and special receptions were held. In 1999, educator Dr Robert Detweiler worked with others including Joan Irvine Smith, Jean Stern, and representatives of the W.M. Keck Foundation to hold a special exhibition of the paintings, "Painted Light: California Impressionist Paintings from the Gardena High School". Among artists represented are Maynard Dixon, Guy Rose, Franz Bischoff, Armin Hansen, Jesse Botke, Frank Tenney Johnson, Jean Mannheim and Edgar Payne. Source: Jean Stern, "Painted Light: California Impressionist Paintings"