Decoy (Gull)

Art Historical Context

**Decoy (Gull)** by Mina Lowry, created between 1935 1942, is a captivating entry from the *Index of American Design*, Federal Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). During the Great Depression, this commissioned artists across the U.S. to document everyday objects, folk crafts, and vernacular designs that embodied American cultural heritage. Lowry's rendering preserves the charm of a traditional gull decoy—a carved wooden bird used by hunters to lure waterfowl—highlighting regional craftsmanship from coastal communities. Executed in watercolor and graphite on paperboard (...

About the Artist

Mina Lowry

Mina Lowry (1894–1942), an American artist born in Canada, emerged as a prominent portrait painter whose career bridged traditional portraiture and the documentation of American folk art. Immigrating to Buffalo, New York, with her family around 1901, she honed her skills early on, winning first prize for modeling at the Albright Art School and studying under the esteemed Florence J. Bach. Lowry fu...