Four Generations of Family Art

Heathcote “Hec” Mann stepped off the train at the Mt. Morris Depot in 1915, walked 50 yards into the Kable Brothers printing plant, and immediately got a job. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and trained as a printer, Hec had traveled thousands of miles. He was, as they said back then, a “Tramp Printer,” which meant that he could walk into nearly any town and get a job. By the time he landed in Mt. Morris, he had already worked the printing trade in Melbourne, Australia, Los Angeles, Detroit, St. Louis, and Chicago.

But it was his lifelong passion for art that made him a legend in Mt. Morris and spawned a four-generation family legacy of artists that continues to this day. More than 100 years of Mann family art will be on display in a new featured exhibit at the Encore Mt. Morris Art Gallery throughout August.

An Inspirational Life

While Hec’s father demanded that he learn a trade, he never stopped pursuing art. Hec started drawing cartoons in earnest after being employed by Kable, and his cartoons about life in and around Mt. Morris were featured in the Mt. Morris Index newspaper for years. Hec had a small printing press in his house where he printed the yearly Christmas cards that he and his wife, Trine Mann, produced together.

Hec was also a writer, a typographer, and as his career progressed, became a nationally known authority on creating effective layouts for print. Together with Trine (a fine artist in her own right), they were, as a family friend Cork Wright told grandson Chris Mann, the original “power couple.” Hec and Trine remain an inspiration to their family. This show is about their legacy.

The Legacy Continues

The Mann family art exhibit is an eclectic mix of drawings, paintings, graphic design, photographs, and fine art prints, as well as 3-dimensional works such as quilts, resin art, and pottery. Featured artists are Hec and Trine Mann (great-grandparents), Nancy and Eric Mann (grandparents), Chris and Cecilia Mann (parents), and their children Ellen and Jeff Mann.

Mann artwork can also be found in and around Mt. Morris. Hec designed the Memorial Fountain on the corner of Main Street and Wesley Avenue, which honors local veterans. His son Eric was a successful commercial graphic designer who designed the bell tower that houses Mt. Morris’ Let Freedom Ring bell on the Village Square campus. Visitors to Mt. Morris will find straw sculptures created by Hec’s grandson, Chris, for the annual Straw Sculpting Competition held every August.

The Encore Mt. Morris Art Gallery is open from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in August (coinciding with the free Mt. Morris Jamboree Friday night concerts and the free Saturday Strawfest concerts on the campus square). The art gallery shares the first floor of College Hall, 16 S. Wesley Ave., with the Mt. Morris Historical Museum. Admission is free, although donations are welcome.