Greenbelt’s signature “Art in the Barn” began, appropriately, in the studio once used by famed American artist Allyn Cox, whose murals grace the United States Capitol.
Cox, who worked in the Capitol for many decades, was the son of Kenyon Cox, an eminent muralist, and Louise Howland King, known for her portraits of children.
In 1940, Cox bought Greenbelt’s current property as his summer home and made the barn into an art studio. He donated the property to Greenbelt in 1974.
Cox apprenticed with his father, whom he worked with on murals for the Wisconsin State Capitol. He trained in Italy and steadily built his reputation as a muralist over many years.
In 1953, Cox was hired to complete the frieze in the Capitol Rotunda, which had been originally started by Constantino Brumidi and left unfinished since the 1880s.
The section painted by Cox depicts scenes of the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the birth of aviation at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
He painted murals on many other walls in the building, including a depiction of the first moon landing in the Senate’s Brumidi Corridors.
He also designed murals for three first-floor corridors in the House wing, now called the Cox Corridors.
They are elaborately decorated with wall and ceiling murals that include historical scenes, portraits and maps related to the development and growth of the United States.
He completed two of the corridors before his death in 1982.
2019 Art in the Barn Schedule:
Friday, June 7th: 10am - 3pm Friday, June 7th - Public Reception: 5 - 8:30 pm. Live music, food trucks, beer & wine Saturday, June 8th: 10am - 5pm Live music, kids' activities Sunday, June 9th: 10am - 5pm