Born in Carson City, Nevada, Warren Rollins was raised in San Francisco, California. Rollins received formal training at the San Francisco School of Design where he was a pupil of Virgil Williams. Following his studies, he served as the assistant director of the school.
In 1887, Rollins was married and moved with his new wife to San Diego, California, at which time he began to focus on Indian subjects. He and his family traveled extensively throughout the western United States in search of subject matter for the artist's paintings. He spent the year of 1900 in Arizona painting the Hopi Indians. He later spent time with the Zuni and Navajo Indians as well. Rollins worked in the Chaco Canyon ruins in Northern New Mexico and painted for the Santa Fe Railroad who built him a studio near the Grand Canyon in Paradise Valley. He later began painting extensively in Taos. At that time, Rollins, Ernest L. Blumenschein, Frank Sauerwein, and Bert G. Phillips were the only artists working in Taos.
Ignoring advice from his peers, Rollins decided to relocate to Santa Fe in an attempt to set up a show of his work. He petitioned the former territorial governor of New Mexico, then an official of the New Mexico Historical Society, with his idea to hold an art show. In 1909, he held what is believed to be the first formal exhibition of art in Santa Fe, a one-man show in the Palace of the Governors. The show was a success and Rollins, who was among the earliest members of the Santa Fe Art Colony, was often referred to as the "Dean of the Santa Fe Art Colony". He also founded and became the first president of the Santa Fe Art Club. While in Santa Fe, Rollins also taught art classes at the Palace.
During the Depression, Rollins worked for the Works Progress Administration completing murals in locations around New Mexico including the Post Office in Gallup, the Museum of New Mexico, and Hervey House.
Warren Rollins died in Winslow, Arizona, at the age of 100.
Exhibited: Western Washington Industrial Exposition, 1891; Santa Fe, prior to 1910; American Artists Association, Los Angeles; California School of Design (medal);
Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe; Barbizon Plaza, New York; Sheraton Belvedere Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland; Maryland Institute; Delmonico's, New York City; Gunnison, Colorado.
Works held: Arrowhead Springs, California; Bishop's Lodge, Santa Fe, New Mexico (triptychs); Harvey House, Gallup, New Mexico; Huntington Gallery, Los Angeles, California; Museum of New Mexico, National Bank, Phoenix, Arizona; Santa Fe; Santa Fe Railroad; Tower Building, Baltimore, D.C.; United States Post Office, Gallup, New Mexico.
Further Reading: Artists of the American West: A Biographical Dictionary, Vol. 1, Doris Ostrander Dawdy, Swallow Press, Chicago, 1980. 3 Vols.; Artists of the Canyons and Caminos: Santa Fe, the Early Years, Edna Roberston and Sarah Nestor, Gibbs M. Smith, Inc, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1982.; Harmsen's Western Americana: A Collection of One-Hundred Western Paintings with Biographical Profiles of the Artists, Dorothy Harmsen, Northland Press, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1971.; The Illustrated Biographical Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West, Peggy and Harold Samuels, Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New York, 1976.; Taos Artists and Their Patrons, 1898-1950, Dean A. Porter, Tessa Hayes Ebie and Suzan Campbell, Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, 1999.; Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Vol. 3. Peter Hastings Falk, Georgia Kuchen and Veronica Roessler, eds., Sound View Press, Madison, Connecticut, 1999. 3 Vols.
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