Haunted Art | Ghosts, apparitions, spirits and other entities not of this world frequently paint themselves into the art world. Frequently ghost stories surface about hauntings in museums, theaters, and even in two dimensional artwork to the surprise of some artists. Here are a list of spooky ghost stories and hauntings that occur in the art world.
The next time you visit an art museum or create your next masterpiece, you may eerily experience the unexpected. If you know of a ghost story related to art that we do not have listed, we would be happy to hear about it. |
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Haunted Painting At Cocky's Tavern in Maryland :
Many workers and guests of Cocky's Tavern, located in Westminster, Maryland, believe a mysterious civil war era painting, referred to as the Grant painting, holds mystical properties from the hear after. As time went on, dark shadowy lines began appearing on the painted making the bearded gentleman appear to be bleeding from his hand. Later the dark blood like marks appeared on his forehead and then his chest.
Skeptics proclaim that the dark shadowing formed as a result of long term exposure to cigarette smoke spread by the tavern visitors. Local ghost hunters deemed this tavern as haunted due to a variety of other phenomena, such as the relighting of candles and painting falling off the walls without help from the living. The main questions to ask would be : Why are the marks the dark color of blood? Why do the marks only appear on the skin of the man portrayed in the portrait?
Altoona, Pennsylvania Haunted Mural :
In the summer of 2005, The town of Altoona, Pennsylvania commissioned Pam Snyder to paint a mural describing the cities rich 150 year history on the side of the Scheinberg Building in downtown Altoona. Each evening Snyder digitally photographed the work she had completed in order to analyze it at home and uncover any needed touch ups.
One evening, much to her surprise, a transparent ghostly figure that she did not paint was sitting in the street car she had just created that day. Many write this story off as typical ghostly phenomena in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Some believe that the apparition in the painting missed the good times he had riding on the street cars through the town.
Haunted Bell Tower at San Francisco Institute :
Built in 1926 on top of a graveyard, The San Francisco Institute resides on 800 Chestnut Street in the heart of the famously haunted Russian Hill area of the city. About 20 years after the construction of the Institute, a night watchman took up residence in the bell tower. He experienced the first of many reported hauntings, such as mysterious footsteps marching up the tower, lights flickering on and off.
In recent years, the bell tower underwent construction that inspired reports from construction works of mysterious occurrences like power tools inadvertently turning on. A group of psychics entered the tower for a seance, but only uncovered that many frustrated spirits live in the tower. The managers of the Institute ceased the rumors by eliminating entry to the bell tower.
Vancouver Art Gallery Ghost :
Built in 1911 as a courthouse, the Vancouver Art Gallery not only displays artwork, but also believed to be the home of "Charlie". Ghost hunters name the ghost, Charlie after Charles Hopkinson, an immigration officer who was murdered inside the courthouse in 1914. Charlie roams the halls of this majestic building complete with ornate plaster, heavy wooden doors, and hallways coated with marble.
Ghosts in the Glass of Argentine Prison :
Seth Wulsin, a young artist born in Rockland County, N.Y., moved to Buenos Aires. In July 2006, Wulsin found himself turning a dilapitaded old prison scheduled for demolition into a ghostly work of art. The Cárcel de Caseros prison is notorious as Argentine's most inhumane criminal holding facility. Many inmates suffered severe medical problems due to the lack of sunlight after being trapped in cells stacked on top of each other like chicken coups. Before the demolition, Wulsin gained permission to smash the windows in an effort to create the ghostly faces on the side of the building. Many might regard his creation as the last message sent from the graves of those who met their horrific deaths inside the walls of Cárcel de Caseros. |
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