ILA  McAFEE   (1897-1995)

    Born South of Gunnison, Colorado in a small ranching community, Ila McAfee was raised on her family ranch. She studied at Western State college of Colorado, the Art Students League and National Academy of Design in New York.  McAfee first came to Taos, New Mexico in 1926.  She moved to Taos in 1928 with her artist husband, Elmer Page Turner where she remained for over sixty years. She was one of the many artists employed by the WPA created by Franklin D. Roosevelt to paint murals depicting the American story and to lend support to artist during the Depression. McAfee’s murals can be seen in the Post Offices in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado.  Her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Santa Fe Railroad Co., Stark Museum, the Gilcrease Museum and the Denver Art Museum of New Mexico.  The artist is known for her paintings of horses, animals and the Taos Pueblo. She was a beloved member of the Taos Art Colony.