Minerva!: The Story of an Artist with a Mission [ILLUSTRATED]

by Elaine Cannon

Minerva!: The Story of an Artist with a Mission [ILLUSTRATED]

Genres: Biography, Lds, Art

156 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Elaine Cannon was a former general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before receiving that call, she was a member of the Mutual Improvement Association’s governing board and the Church’s curriculum planning, writing, activities, and correlation committees.
She also served as associate editor of Church magazines for youth and their leaders. Lecturing extensively throughout the world, she has had opportunities to meet members of the Church of all ages and nationalities.
Elaine authored or coauthored more than 50 books and has recorded dozens of talk on tapes. Among her books are Adversity, Baptized and Confirmed: Your Lifeline to Heaven, Choose the Right, Women Testify of Jesus Christ, The Truth About Angels, and three "Little Books": The Little Book of Big Ideas about Hope, The Little Book of Big Ideas about Joy, and The Little Book of Big Ideas about Love, her latest.
For thirty years she was a daily columnist for intermountain newspapers. She has hosted her own TV show and was a featured speaker on a weekly radio program broadcast internationally.
Elaine Cannon passed away in 2003 at the age of 81.

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about Minerva. It was wierd to me to have the book be written in first person, but written by Elaine Cannon.
Minerva was an amazing woman, that did the best she could in her rural pioneer lifestyle. I love her artwork and her steadfast faith.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been so fond of the artworks of Minerva Teichert for years so I was so thrilled to find this book, quite by accident. It was so fun to learn about the artist behind the paintings I have loved. What an AMAZING woman who has inspired me to do more with my life. I highly recommend this book. If you are not already a fan of Minerva Teichert's art, you will be after reading this book. :)

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful large book--perfect for setting out on an endtable. My mother used to tell me the story about how Minerva Teichert parted with her paintings for mere pennies compared to what they are worth today. She sold them to the Church in exchange for tuition for her children to BYU. The exchange rate was scandalously low, because at the time no one appreciated her work, and for years the Church kept them crated up in storage rooms. Now that she's dead, of course, they are in vogue--you can find her paintings in the Ensign, on walls of the temples, on book covers. Unfortunately for her family, they own none of the rights to them as they are being reproduced to fill popular demand. But at least they were able to receive something very difficult to put a price on--a good education.

You'll find hints of this story in the text of this well-illustrated book, but certainly without the pall of tragedy that my mother told it with.

[angelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love biographies and this woman is truly an inspiration! We did this one in our book club (Christy Garner reviewed it). I can see her (in my mind) painting huge murals in her tiny pioneer home -- rolling up one side to continue painting. I love the imagery of her stopping her family on their move from a home that had been flooded out, to paint the scene she was leaving... BYU did an art display of her work the very month we read this book in our club -- it was perfect timing!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this biography. It was interesting and well written. I loved reading about the artists perceptions of life, family, and her consuming love of art. I loved reading about her childhood and the challenges of bringing up children in the west without everyday things like plumbing and electricity. Her determination to make her dream of becoming an artist was amazing and inspirational. I will never look at one of her paintings without remembering the bold spirit that she was.

[Darla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Minerva Teichert lived an interesting life, balancing the rigors of homesteading with her passion for painting. EC writes in first person as if an aged MT was conversing about her life. The style tended to be disjointed, at time referencing incidents that would only be fully explained much latter, or conversely overly repetitive of certain phrases or ideas. My favorite parts were when she explained why she painted a subject a particular way.

[Tara Lynn Tanner · Rating 2 out of 5]

The artist herself fascinates me, and the letters in the back that were actually written by her were wonderful... I am not a fan of the faux-autobiographical writing style, though, and felt it was pretty scattered without as much depth and substance as I would like.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember my mother telling me about her and that she painted the murals in the Manti Temple. This book was short and sweet but it made this artist's real to me.d What a woman of example!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Great perspective of a great artist.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful history of an amazing Western heroine.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable biography with lots of interesting anecdotes about Minerva Teichert, an amazing and visionary artist.