Jonas Olof Grafstr?m

(This series of Notable Faculty profiles was written in celebration Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø's sesquicentennial in 2009.)

Jonas Olof Grafstr?m was born on June 11, 1855, in Attmar, Medelpad, Sweden. His father, C. P. Grafstr?m, was a judge for the district court.

Even as a small child, Grafstr?m showed tremendous talent for drawing. He was sent to a high school in N?fsta, and, beginning in 1875, to the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. He graduated in 1882 with other notable artists such as Anders Zorn, Bruno Liljefors, Richard Berg, and Johan Tir¨¦n. After graduation Grafstr?m painted his way across Northern Sweden and Lapland, perfecting his landscape technique. He received acclaim for some of these paintings; one was even purchased by King Oscar II of Sweden.

In 1886, Grafstr?m moved to Portland, Ore., and began painting the northwest. He also lived in Spokane, Washington and San Francisco. Grafstr?m won medals in several art competitions throughout the United States, and his landscapes became popular in the Swedish-American community. Grafstr?m also became a well-known painter of altarpieces, many of which found their way into Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Synod churches.

From 1893 to 1897, Grafstr?m taught art at Bethany Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø. In the fall of 1897, Grafstr?m arrived at Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø to become the head of the art department. Art was a new subject at Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø. The department was established in 1894 under Mae Munroe. In addition to his classes and his own work ¡ª he painted several hundred pieces during his time in Rock Island ¡ª Grafstr?m also gave private lessons. He was well liked by his students, offering encouragement in English and Swedish as he walked between the easels in his classroom on the third floor of Old Main.

On June 15, 1904, Grafstr?m married fellow painter Anna Nelson of Galesburg; they had two children, Ruth and Katarina, both of whom were artistically gifted. Grafstr?m ran the art department at Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø until 1926, when poor health forced him to retire. He returned to Sweden after his retirement and passed away on March 30, 1933, in Stockholm.