Overview:
More than a decade after Esther Hagstrom’s artwork showcased in the Coronado Public Library, the paintings and art pieces created by the local artist are once again in the spotlight.
A lifetime of artistry and 12 years of teaching – these are things Suzy Hagstrom learned about her grandmother, Esther Hagstrom.
Suzy didn’t have the opportunity to know her grandmother before she passed, but Suzy became familiar with her grandmother through her art and the people who did meet her.
Suzy recalled Esther’s watercolor paintings hanging on the walls growing up.
“I was very well aware from childhood about this particular grandmother,” Suzy said.
Esther was known for her paintings, from oils to watercolor. She worked across multiple mediums, including ceramics, paint and print. And beyond her own work, she also taught others about art.
The Coronado Unified School District hired Esther in 1937. She taught art at Coronado High School from 1939 to 1951. That’s where Suzy’s parents met each other.
“My mother was one of her art students,” Suzy said. “My mother took art classes from my paternal grandmother, and my parents were high school sweethearts.”
Both of her parents have a love for art and instilled that in Suzy too.
“I grew up with art appreciation from my parents, and I credit my paternal grandmother for having that influence,” Suzy said.
The art stuck with Suzy as an adult. She wanted to find a space where the art would live on.
“I’m an only child of only children,” Suzy said. “And, I just, at my death, I just didn’t want her work to be scattered, in some way. It’s a beautiful collection.”
Suzy decided to create a website. As a journalist, she practiced her own calling to artistry by interviewing Esther’s past students, fellow teachers and others who knew her during her lifetime.
“As I kept gathering information, I got connected to Coronado teachers who knew my grandmother,” Suzy said. “It was very emotional and meaningful for me to speak to people who knew my grandmother.”
Suzy said this documentation process took over a year. John Elwell, Coronado High School class of 1951, was one of the people she featured in the website.
“I remember the thrill I got mixing paints from basic colors and learning the wash technique. This inspired me to take classes in watercolor in college,” Elwell said in the testimonial section of the website. “I feel that this basic training in art and color helped me to be a better photographer.”
In 2013, Suzy approached the Coronado Public Library about donating the art and exhibiting it.
“It’s very fitting because she taught art at the high school, which is just across the street from the Coronado Public Library,” Suzy said. “She and her students did, I guess they call it in French, Plein Air, open air painting. They would go outside with their canvases and paints and they painted probably on the lawn in front of the Coronado Public Library.”
After a successful showcase, a few pieces stayed on display in the library; others were boxed up and put in the archives, with unclear plans for what was next.
Or, so Suzy thought.
That’s where Kelly Andrade, special collections librarian, came in.
“Though some of Esther’s pieces, such as her ceramics and paintings, have been continuously on view at the library, the majority of her collection have been preserved in our archives,” Andrade said via email. “With over a decade since her art was last exhibited, we felt the timing was ideal to bring out a fresh selection of her works and once again share her talent with the public.”
The exhibit, titled “The Art of Esther Hagstrom,” includes 37 pieces across a range of media, including watercolors, ceramics, copper plates, prints and a wood carving. Some of the notable works Andrade highlighted include a 1941 depiction of the Coronado Boathouse and the vibrant “Rainbow Fleet.”
“In selecting the pieces, we focused primarily on landscapes of Coronado and San Diego, though the collection also includes scenes from San Francisco and Hawaii,” Andrade said.
For Suzy, this renewed interest and celebration of her grandmother’s work came as a surprise.
“I never really, you know, thought that that would happen,” Suzy said. “I was just totally blown away. I’m very happy. It was such a beautiful display.”
While Suzy said it’s difficult to choose a favorite piece her grandmother made, one did leave a particular impact on her.
“It’s green and I think the location was Balboa Park,” Suzy said. “It’s a very rich watercolor.”
Esther Hagstrom’s artwork will be on display in the Spreckels Room at the Coronado Public Library until Oct. 6. To learn more about Esther and her work, visit https://www.estherpainterhagstrom.com/the-teacher
