Tal Hinnant Mangum: Preserving a treasure

Regarding the April 20 news article “Inside the city, artist’s refuge survives”: Thanks to Councilman Russ Stephenson for preserving the home of his great aunt Isabelle Bowen Henderson.

I remember those painfully boring portrait sittings in her studio in 1965. I also remember holding a model ship that complemented my sailor dress nicely. Then to my horror, the finished portrait showed me holding a red camellia. Isabelle refused to paint a girl holding such a masculine toy.

I was constantly reminded by my mother that in case of fire, I was to grab my portrait and run out of the house. Isabelle’s portraits were, and still are, a treasure.

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Tal Hinnant Mangum: Preserving a treasure."