Dec 12, 2023 3 min read

Local artist James Sulkowski completed a commemorative painting earlier this year to celebrate the Washington County Fair’s 225th anniversary. A limited number of signed prints are now available for purchase.

The Washington County Agricultural Fair celebrated its 225th anniversary in 2023 and is continuing to honor its heritage through sales of a commemorative painting by local artist James Sulkowski.

From its beginnings in 1798 as the “Morganza Fair,” the fair has moved from locations at East Maiden Street, West Chestnut Street, the site of Washington & Jefferson College’s Cameron Football Stadium, Tylerdale, and finally to its current home of the Washington County Fairgrounds in Arden. As the fair has moved, it has featured everything from a livestock judging contest that allowed boys and girls to participate in 1913, an airshow from DeLoyd Thompson in 1917, and a dog show and pigeon judging contest in 1926, to today’s programming of livestock exhibits, concerts, derbies, baking contests, and much more.

With such a long and varied history, the fair turned to artist James Sulkowski with the question of how to represent 225 years of the event in one painting. Sulkowski, a world-renowned artist based in Houston, whose work has been featured in the White House, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, and various prestigious private collections, was up for the task.

“It was certainly a challenge to depict 225 years of history into one artistic work, but it was a pleasure to meet and work with the people of the Washington County Agricultural Fair,” Sulkowski said.

The top of the painting shows the fairgrounds as its original farmland, portraying 18th century farmers gathering hay and picking corn by hand and a 19th century farmer plowing for corn. The upper-right quadrant features the John White House, which was built in 1806 and was the family farmland that now houses the fairgrounds, while the upper-left quadrant showcases the Draft Horse Barn, the second oldest building on the grounds behind the John White House.

The bottom of the painting showcases the livestock and produce exhibits that gained popularity at the fair in the 20th century and are still popular today. The painting’s center represents the current fairgrounds, showcasing the new entrance gates, Memorial Brick Plaza, and historical mural on the renovated restroom building. Visitors are welcomed to the fair by Wayne Hunnell, secretary of the fair’s executive board, and David Cowden, a member of the executive board for 35 years. The large red building behind Hunnell and Cowden points to the future expansion as a proposed equestrian center project.

“We gave James a tough task of capturing the fair’s long and unique history, and we were amazed by the final painting,” Todd Richards, president of the executive board, said. “The fairgrounds represent a special place to countless families throughout the county who have fond memories of coming to the fair, and this painting captures those memories as well as our history.”

Those interested in purchasing a painting can order one online in paper or canvas form at washingtonfair.org. Quantities are limited, and each edition is signed and numbered by the artist.