Here are memories of Arthur Kraft that have been shared. Please Contact Us if you have anything to share.
“I was fortunate enough to know Arthur and, along with a small group of his friends and associates,work for him on the assembly of the mural for the K.C.Public Library. Under his direction, we hand cut and glued the mosaic tile to sections of stiff cardboard which were later transported to the site and installed in place by local union tile setters. It was a memorable experience working for the man and even these many years later, I can still pick out the various sections that I had a hand in assembling. Since I have an affection for owls, he gave me a colored pencil and water color sketch of the owl that nests in one of the trees in the mural. I will always hold fond memories of Arthur and my experiences working under his direction.”
-David F
“I am one of five children of the book’s author, Lon Amick. Arthur and my father had gone to Southwest High School together and remained friends throughout their lives. During my childhood, Arthur visited our home from time to time, sometimes leaving a painting as collateral for a loan from my dad, who recognized Arthur’s great talent and tried to support Arthur’s work when he could. Arthur asked us to call him “Uncle Pooh” and once gave us a box turtle that he called “Naughty Marietta”. He once begged our mom for a prism from our dining room chandelier because it created a rainbow of light … and he eventually wore down her resistance. Sometimes Dad took all of us children to visit Arthur. I recall stepping over paintings strewn across the floor, playing with the little dog Duncan and seeing some plaster penguins. I love Arthur’s illustrations in The Divine Journey, which I believe came from a set of lithographs. However, I have a nagging childhood memory that they were originally very colorful oil paintings. By way of example, I seem to recall that the gems in the King’s crown (the illustration accompanying Gate Number Two – Knowledge) were multi-colored.”
-Alice A