The Second Cora Wright

It turns out that our current display of Cora Wright’s works may include the works of two artists-both named Cora Wright, who were both painting around the same time period.

The second Cora Wright was Cora Alice Akers Wright, who was born in 1908 in Coalinga, CA. In 1936, she settled down in Arroyo Grande, CA and founded the El Camino Art Association. Her work, like Cora Wright’s work, was shown at a number of State Fairs and Exhibitions. She passed away in 1992.

Cora Alice Akers Wright, Photo from findagrave.com

How Can You Tell?

Although some of Cora Wright’s paintings are unsigned, a closer look at the signed ones reveals an interesting detail. The style of Cora’s signatures varies slightly, but usually includes a characteristic side to side squiggle under the g in Wright. The second Cora’s signature is fully capitalized, with a capital G in place of the characteristic squiggle. It also looks like this painting features trees reminiscent of pepper trees, which grow in the southern part of the state where Cora Alice Akers Wright was painting. Check out the comparison photos below:

Cora Alice Akers Wright

Cora B. Wright

The Museum was previously unaware of Cora Alice Akers Wright and we are happy to share this new development with you! We would like to thank Eric Klepl for sharing this insight with us.