Bingham County pioneer roots celebrated in Mabel Hutchinson exhibit at Candy Jar Gallery
Published at
BLACKFOOT — In celebration of America250 and the pioneering families of Bingham County, the Candy Jar Gallery will host a free exhibition featuring works by Bingham County native and accomplished artist Mabel Christina Bennett Hutchinson from now through March 26.
Hutchinson (February 13, 1903 – December 18, 1999) was born in the Blackfoot River Valley, where life in a rural homesteading community helped shape her artistic vision. She later studied at Riverside Junior College in California under the famous watercolorist Rex Brandt. She gained regional recognition in the 1930s and 1940s for luminous paintings of Southern California farms and coastal landscapes.
The exhibit highlights Hutchinson’s early artwork inspired by her childhood on Presto Bench, a rural terrace east of Firth overlooking the Blackfoot River valley. Historically home to homesteading families and dryland farms, the area shaped both her creativity and her enduring connection to the region.
In later years, Hutchinson turned to sculptural wood art, creating carved doors, relief panels, and abstract assemblages that reflected a deep appreciation for natural materials. Her work is often viewed as bridging Idaho’s frontier heritage with the evolving artistic movements of the mid-century West Coast.
She eventually returned to southeast Idaho and is buried in Firth.
Hutchinson was a great aunt to cousins Becky Reid Davis of Firth and Debbie Reid Oleson of Blackfoot.
Oleson recalled her excitement as a child when Hutchinson came to visit.
“Growing up, when we knew Mabel was coming, we wanted to be around her. She was so neat and stylish and brought us things from California,” Oleson said.
“She became quite famous for the woodwork art she created using wood from her husband’s wood shop, especially the carved doors,” Davis added.
Davis said the gallery is also showcasing her nephew, Brent Cotton, who has 10 pieces on display. Cotton lives in Stevensville, Montana, and is an established artist whose work can be viewed at cottonfinearts.com.
RELATED: Blackfoot exhibit celebrates Bingham County’s artistic legacy
Among the featured pieces are illustrations Hutchinson created for “Letters of Long Ago,” a memoir-style book by her aunt, Agnes Just Reid. Drawn from family letters and recollections of settlement along the Blackfoot River, the images offer a rare and intimate visual record of pioneer life in Bingham County.
“We’re excited to produce such a timely show honoring Mabel, one of our pioneers, and celebrating our nation’s 250th birthday,” said Kaye Nickell of the Bingham Arts Council.
The Presto Preservation Society, the Candy Jar Gallery, and the Bingham Arts Council sponsor the exhibit. The Candy Jar Gallery is located at 102 N. Main Street in Blackfoot and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free.