by
Leland Orson Campbell (son)
Orson Dewsnup Campbell, the artist, was born in Fillmore, Millard, UT, 17 Aug 1876, the second child of Orson Grant Campbell and Ann Dewsnup. He had an older brother, George Frederick, two younger sisters, Mary Ann and Phoebe Jemima, and a brother Holstein Monroe Warner, all of whom were born in Fillmore. George Frederick and Mary Ann died the same day, 6 Jun 1882, of diphtheria during a severe epidemic in Fillmore; but, Orson recovered and lived to rear a family and to become a teacher of art in many schools.
Orson descended from a long line of Campbells, going back through the House of Argyle and finally through Constantine the Great and his mother Helena, to Joseph of Arimathea, the father of Anna (called in the pedigrees the cousin of Virgin Mary).
We do not know much about Orson's early childhood other than that he was reared in a very humble home, his parents not having too much of this world's goods and having to engage in a constant struggle to provide the necessities of life. That he received excellent training at home is attested to by the fact that he grew into young manhood with those sterling qualities of character: perseverance, modesty, sincerity, honesty and a strong religious faith, which were to make him a great man.
His mother was one of those rare souls possessed of an inner spiritual sense and perception that influenced her children to exert themselves to do their very best. For example, while Orson was still a lad, he, with another youth, had the job of herding cows, and was influenced to take up smoking. But, because he sensed the great concern of his mother and because of the close bond between them, he determined not to use tobacco again, and he never did.
At different times, Orson worked in his uncle's store and saloon, but, even though he was thus thrown into contact with undesirable influences, he remained true to his word and kept them out of his life.
Orson had an insatiable desire to draw objects, people, animals and things around him. He often
succumbed to this urge and filled his copy books with sketches of his schoolmates, friends,
townspeople, and perhaps even his teachers. Although he was frequently caught and reprimanded
for wasting his time at such "foolishness", the desire to capture the beautiful and ascetic on
drawing board or canvas could not be thwarted.
In 1897, when Orson was 21 years of age, the family moved from the Deseret Fillmore area to Provo, UT. Orson went on to Ogden and found work which provided him with little more than room and board. "At this rate", he thought, "he would never be able
to finish his education." But he was ambitious and so he finally struck a bargain with F. W. Stratford, of Ogden, to work on his farm for nine months for his board and $140.00 in money. His job began in January and lasted till October. He then worked for a month at the Ogden sugar factory and returned to Provo, where he entered the Brigham Young Academy. Here he trained to become a teacher of manual training and mechanical and architectural drawing. But even though his time was dully occupied, he was never far from his beloved canvasses and paints, and he spent every spare moment he could with them.
In 1903 he finished his work at the Brigham Young Academy and from then until 1915 he taught
at that institution.
It was while Orson was attending the Academy that he met beautiful, shy, dark-haired Anna Mary Pearce, through his sister Phoebe. Phoebe had been able to attend school there with the help of her brother and her devoted mother, and while in school had become very close to Anna Mary. She, too, was struggling to get an education; and through perseverance and industry, graduated from the preparatory school when she was seventeen.
Orson was very much attracted to this demure, shy girl who possessed those fine qualities and traits of character and the unwavering religious faith which were to make her stand out as a leader among women. She reciprocated his feelings and during the short years of courtship their respect and love for each other blossomed and grew. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on 10 Jun 1903 by John IL Winder.
Modest, sincere and genuine, Anna Mary encouraged and supported Orson in his great desire to put on canvas the beauties of nature that he saw all around him. In 1908 he went East and attended the Art Student League in New York City, making much progress in his field. At the same time he did not forget his church and spent much time with the regularly called missionaries, helping them with their work. Even though he was not a missionary, he received a letter of commendation from the mission president for the fine service he had rendered.
Upon his return home, he resumed his teaching activities at the Brigham Young Academy. Then,
from 1915-1918, he devoted himself to organizing an art department at the Ricks Normal College
in Rexburg, ID. From there he moved to St. George, UT where he taught Art, Manual Training
(carpentry) and Theology at the Dixie Normal College. Returning to Provo in 1920, he became
the supervisor of art in all the Provo city schools and taught art in the Provo High School.
Wherever he went he made many friends.
During the years of his teaching, he spent the summers in his chosen field of landscape painting, many of his students studying under famous teachers in various parts of the country. During the summer of 1920, he studied at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco. In 1922 he was at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1924 he taught art at
the Alpine Summer School of Brigham Young University; in 1925 he studied with Lee Randolf of California. 1926 was spent in our wonderlands and canyons of southern Utah; in 1928 he as with B. F. Larson, Samuel Jepperson and others, again in southern Utah. And, in 1929 he studied with Lee Green Richards at Brigham Young University Summer School.
His pictures have been exhibited in New York, California, Chicago and many local and state art institutes. Many are in private homes as well as in public buildings, churches and schools. Several of his paintings won awards in Utah State exhibits and now hang in the collection in the Utah State Capitol building. He, also, exhibited frequently in the famous Springville Utah Art Festival and won many prizes there. A number of his paintings are included in that collection. He constantly worked to establish art collections in various schools, including Provo High School, and donated many paintings for ward chapels and other public auditoriums. He won fame as a landscape painter and many critics have heaped praise upon him for his paintings of Tim panogos. He was known as the sunshine artist because he seemed to possess the unusual ability of getting the feeling of real sunshine into his pictures. One of the organizers of the Utah County Artists' League, he served at different times as its president and chairman of the exhibit committee.
Along with his profession he found time to be active in the LDS Church. He served on a Stake
Sunday School Board as assistant superintendent; was first counselor in the first bishopric of the
Bonneville West, Utah Stake; taught many advanced classes in various organizations. He was a
theology teacher at Brigham Young University; served as instructor of teachers training classes
and was a member of a Stake High Council. He was always in demand as a speaker at religious
services; took a deep interest in civic problems and issues and was always active in defense of
moral principles which he espoused.
He and his wife, Anna Mary, were blessed with six children, three boys and three girls born in the following order: Leland Orson, Elmo Pearce, Benjamin Grant, Marian, Wanda and Juanita.
On 12 Feb 1933 he died of a cerebral hemorrhage suffered as the result of a fall, which occurred that same day as he came out of a store. He had been purchasing materials to be used as part of the scenery and stage settings for the high school opera. Because of public demand and at the solicitation of the Provo High School officials and members of the Board of Education, his funeral services were held in the High School auditorium. And this was entirely fitting since he had spent a lifetime in the service of the thousands who had known him as a teacher-advisor-counselor-friend.