Okay. If you’re a regular reader you already know all about Laura Perea, but if you’re new here and want details there are a lot and they are here.
Part 1. Who is “L. Perea”?
Part 2. Laura? Is that you?
Part 3. MORE ART DISCOVERED
In short, I found a bunch of strange art at an estate sale that I have been obsessed with. They are tattered but incredible and were by an artist named “L. Perea” who seemed to be documenting her life in a mental institution in the early to mid 50s. After a lot of research (and help by fellow readers, researchers, librarians) we theorized that “L. Perea” was probably Laura Perea, a brilliant young woman who graduated summa cum laude from college in the 1930s but was institutionalized (along with her twin sister by the 40s). Her sister killed herself in the 40s and by the 50s Laura was institutionalized in a local San Antonio mental institution where we suspect she created this haunting and unsettling art. There are no known photos of Laura or her sister. Laura was the last living descendent in her family when she died in the 90s. No one alive seems to have any memory of her. She just…disappears. But I wanted her to have a voice, so that she could be recognized rather than be hidden.
I’d written that I can relate so much to Laura, because I also struggle with mental illness and I also use art and writing to tame the beast in my head. I’d written that I didn’t know if we would ever know anything more about Laura, but that I hoped she’d gotten out of the institutions and that she’d continued to create her incredible art throughout her life. I also wrote that I knew this was unlikely, and that realistically she probably she died hidden away in a mental institution, like other members of her family, and like members of mine.
Richard Marini at the San Antonio Express was also fascinated by the story and wrote this piece, which was so popular it made it to the actual paper:
We crossed our fingers as we waited for someone from Laura’s past to read it and recognize her and reach out, but there were no new leads.
And then I got covid and had to postpone the small showing I was planning of Laura’s work at Nowhere Bookshop and I basically fell into a mini coma. But when I came out of that coma a few days ago I found that Laura’s death certificate that I’d requested from the state had finally arrived in the mail. And it was the key to unlocking so much.
First off, her occupation was listed:
“Usual occupation: Author/Artist.”
SHE NEVER STOPPED CREATING, Y’ALL.
At the time of her death (of heart failure at age 80) she was no longer in the mental institution and was living at a local, assisted-living nursing home. Her next of kin was listed as “Kim (withholding her name until I get permission) – Friend.” And after a lot of digging I thought I might have found Kim on facebook. I sent her a long, strange message with links to everything and apologized if she was the wrong person who was probably now baffled by all of this. And within an hour I had a response.
“I am the person you’re looking for.”
She explained that she’d been Laura’s caregiver for several years, and that she had really enjoyed her company. She was in Florida until the 17th but she wants to meet with me when she gets back to San Antonio so she can tell me more about Laura and also see if she still has some of her drawings. I literally cried.
So. Perhaps only a few of her pieces survived, but she kept producing art…so much so that she considered it her main occupation. She is remembered…by someone who cared for her and enjoyed being with her. And by us…people she could never have imagined she’d touched so deeply decades after she was gone. She may never have been able to live on her own without help but she didn’t die alone in a mental institution, like so many others. And perhaps there are more of her pieces out in the world, just waiting to be discovered. And perhaps today you will create something that will speak to a future generation. Or maybe I will. That is the magic of art.
I’m going to be showing Laura’s art at Nowhere Bookshop on the 14th (with a special reception at 5 to talk about Laura, mental health, and art) and I’m so happy that I’ll be able to add these details to her life story. Come see us. It’s free. And I’m going to have an online showing after I visit with Kim so that you can come and we can talk about all of it from the comfort of your own home. I’ll keep you posted on that date when I have it.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
PS. After I saw “AUTHOR/ARTIST” written on the death certificate I did a deeper dive into old archives to see if I could find anything she had written and I haven’t yet, BUT…
I found a book about Minnie Fisher Cunningham, a Texas suffragette who led the cause to help Texas women win the right to vote in state elections in 1918. The book says she announced her candidacy for Presidency in the late 50s at the San Antonio Democratic Women for Good Government Club. The top people in her campaign were all women. And the reason we know these details because of an election leaflet that was created by…Laura Perea.
Is it the same Laura? Considering that she’s a San Antonio woman whose last drawings I have were sketches that were criticizing the government, it’s very possible. A sweet research librarian is currently searching though old archival boxes to see if they can find a copy so we can see what it looked like.
I’ll keep you posted.
