Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

This Day in Arkansas History

February 6, 1894

Kathryne Bess Hail, an artist and teacher who was especially known for her still-life paintings of flowers, was born in Ozark (Franklin County). After she married Olin Herman Travis in November 1916, she and her husband helped establish the Dallas Art Institute, which was the first major art school in the South to offer instruction in a variety of fields. After the couple’s divorce in 1934, she moved to Beverly Hills, California, then resettled in Seattle, Washington, and worked in a number of western states. In 1957, she established the Kathryne Hail Travis Summer School of Painting in Ruidoso, New Mexico, where she lived from 1960 until her death in 1972. She is also known for the collection of quilts she acquired during her many trips to Arkansas.

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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Our overview page covers everything you would want to know about our beautiful state, including state symbols, demographics and more!

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