Retrospective to honor late Appeal cartoonist on Saturday
Through continued collaborations with the Yuba County Historic Resources Commission, Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture will present a special tribute to legendary local artist Stan Gelling on Saturday.
“Stan Gelling brought color to the Appeal-democrat and to the people of Yuba-sutter,” said longtime Marysville resident and community leader John Nicoletti. “He gave us self-esteem and a lot of joy.”
According to a release issued by Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture, Gelling was a colorful well-known figure in the local community from the 1950s into the 1980s.
“Though employed as an advertising salesman by the Appeal-democrat, his talent was shown in his cartoons with which he illustrated his Saturday ‘Making the Local Scene’ column,” read the release. “Before he found his niche in Marysville, he wrote and illustrated the Farragut Fables, the newsletter of the United States Naval Station in Farragut Idaho where he was stationed during World War II.”
Gelling also painted western scenes and wildlife in oil along with pencil sketches and watercolors, many of which remain in the area in private collections, according to the release, but his talent lay in the few strokes of ink with which he could capture the physical essence of anyone.
“Before the dictates of political correctness, no subject was off limits,” read the release. “If a prominent attorney was cited for drunk driving, he could expect to be lampooned in Stan’s column on Saturday along with the cop who stopped him.”
A cartoonist and caricature artist extraordinaire, Gelling was born in Pocatello, Idaho and died in Marysville in 1985 after a swashbuckling life of boxing, military service, hunting and fishing, many jobs and an overriding passion for art. Bearing a passing resemblance to Clark Gable he cultivated his image with a pencil thin mustache.
A retrospective of Gelling’s work will be on display on Saturday in the Burrows Theater and the Yuba Sutter Arts & Culture Gallery, 630 E Street, Marysville, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. and refreshments will be served.
“People are encouraged to bring their own Stan Gelling memorabilia and stories to share,” read the release.
For more information, call 530-7422787 or email @yubasutterarts.org.