Known as the 'Matriarch of Utah Artists,' Ella Peacock truly was a pioneer. Ella Peacock was born in Pennsylvania in 1905. Her childhood was rife with both joys and sorrows. She describes herself as a child as: 'I was a bit of a rebel.' In her 20s, she attended the School of Design in Philadelphia.
She lived and painted and created various types of artwork in Pennsylvania with her family through World War II. In 1970, she and her husband Bill moved to Spring City, Utah. Spring City, one of the only places in the West to be included on the list on National Register of Historic Places. It was and still is a small art city in Sanpete County, Utah. Artists have flocked here over the years to collaborate, learn, and create. Peacock lived in a small home in Spring City from 1970 to her death in 1999, at the age of 93.
Her style is typical of the 1930s - a greyed out, flattened look, muted tones. She painted the desert landscapes surrounding her, which, despite her East Coast upbringing, was the landscape that most inspired her. She continued to support herself with her artworks, showing in major galleries and museums. Now, the BYU Museum of Art currently displays her artwork in the executive offices and often in exhibition in the public galleries.
