 Photo by Jean Ludeman.
Welches resident Steve Ludeman has had an interest in the
Lewis and Clark expedition his entire adult life and visits historical
locations when he can. A few years ago, he read Steven Ambrose’s “Undaunted
Courage,” which had a section about the expedition’s journey from Harpers
Ferry, W. Va., to Pittsburgh, Pa., down the Ohio River and then up the
Mississippi River to the mouth of the Missouri River, called the “Eastern
Legacy.”
“I did not know of the eastern section of the expedition,”
Ludeman said. “This is a story in itself.”
Around the same time, a new law was passed extending the
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to include the “Eastern Legacy.”
And as Ludeman was looking for a direction to head in his
painting, this added section fit the bill.
Now more than two years into a project he expects to take up
to four years, Ludeman’s eight finished pieces will be on display from noon to
3 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Red Trillium Gallery, 373 E Historic Columbia
River Hwy., in Troutdale, as part of the gallery’s Second Saturday Art Event.
Ludeman has read Lewis and Clark’s journals a couple times,
while he and his wife also traveled back east last fall and spent two months
visiting sites of the “Eastern Legacy.” He met with historians and would set up
his easel at the locations to start his watercolor paintings.
“It’s a deep dive into history,” Ludeman said, noting that
he’s aiming for up to 22 total pieces. “When I started out, I had no idea how
much fun it would be. I’ve met so many interesting people.”
He added that he’s also working closely with the Lewis &
Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, and that while some of the more complicated
pieces can take months to complete, others are more straightforward and take a
few weeks. Ludeman also noted that his experience has revealed to him that not
all historians agree on the facts, offering a challenge for him to paint
historically accurate art.
The pieces have already been exhibited in Pittsburgh, Pa.,
Nebraska City, Neb. And at Lewis & Clark College. After the Troutdale
exhibit, the show will continue in Missoula, Mont.
Ludeman sees the “Eastern Legacy,” which occurred between July
and December 1803 and covered approximately 1,400 miles, as an important aspect
of the journey for Lewis and Clark.
“This is where they laid the foundation for the entire
exploration,” Ludeman said. “They did their planning, they acquired their
supplies and equipment, recruited crew members, they built the boats, they
planned the route.”
Corbett artist Jim Kunz will also have art on display and
the Saturday event will feature refreshments. For more information on Steve
Ludeman’s art, visit www.steveludemanfineart.com.
The Red Trillium Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. For more information on the gallery, visit
https://www.redtrilliumgallery.com.
By Garth Guibord/MT
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