Arnold Kramer
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Arnold Kramer was nicknamed Minnesota's Grandpa Moses by the University of Minnesota during the hey-day of his painting career in the 1960s. A self-taught artist, he completed over 400 pieces in a style referred to as naïve or primitive. His work was reminiscent of paintings done by Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860- 1961), another self-taught artist, from New England, whose work is still extremely popular among collectors. Like Grandma Moses, Kramer didn't pick up a paint brush until after retirement when he began recording the history of Midwestern agronomy in primary colors.
Arnold Kramer was one of 12 children born to Michael and Gertrude Kramer in Mitchell County Iowa. In 1891, when Arnold was nine years old, the family moved to a homestead near Seaforth, Minnesota in Redwood County where they farmed.
Arnold was a contemporary of children's author Laura Ingalls Wilder who lived near Walnut Grove in southern Redwood County.
While growing up, the Kramers played on traveling amateur baseball teams. They also taught themselves to play a variety of instruments and founded the Kramer's Celebrated Orchestra. According to Arnold, the family often fell asleep while the horses carried the exhausted family home following evening performances in nearby communities.
Arnold married Rose Boushek on June 2, 1914. They raised their four daughters on a farm north of Seaforth. Their only son Myron, passed away at the age of 13.
Arnold began painting and recording history after a visit to see his daughter, Irene. She introduced him to oil paints and canvas to keep him busy while she and Rose went shopping. When Arnold returned to Wabasso, he began his career creating his own distinctive work.
