About

Bernard Moran knew at an early age that art would have a big influence on his life.

“Well, it started when I was about 4 or 5. Somebody drew a picture for me on the back of one my dad’s campaign cards (his father Frank Moran, was the treasurer for the town of Allouez). I drew all through grade school, and everybody always looked to me to lead projects that involved artwork. By the time I got to high school, I had a flair for drawing.”

 “They didn’t have any art classes in high school (Central Catholic), but I did a portrait of my friend, a profile, and his sister thought it was pretty good. And I would also do sketches of my teachers once in a while, but they just shook their heads like I was just wasting my time.”

 “I worked at my father’s print shop for a couple years after high school, then went to Milwaukee to attend Layton School of Art in 194, shortly before my 20th birthday.  I met Patricia Cole there in 1948, but we didn’t have our first date until October of 1950. I took her to a Packer game (they lost to the New York Giants).”

 Bernard and Pat were married in 1951.

 Bernard served in the U.S. Army from March 1953 until March 1955, then came back to Green Bay to join his father in the printing business. He assumed ownership of the business in 1965 after the death of his father, and was later joined by his son, Jim, in running the shop.

 “The first calendar that we published in 1966 featured a bare apple tree. And in later drawings, I would put a number after my name, to indicate the number of times that I had hidden my name in the picture somewhere.”

 A house in Red Banks was his first commission to draw a picture of a building. As his reputation grew, he began to get more commissions to draw pictures of buildings in and ground Green Bay and has drawn hundreds of local landmarks.

 Though he experimented with watercolor, oils and acrylic, he did most of the drawing in pen and ink or charcoal.

 “I did a series of churches, including St. John’s, St. Mary’s, and St. Philip’s. And I began to receive commissions for homes and businesses in the area. Sometimes I worked on site, and other times from photographs.”

 “People come up to me and say they see my drawings around town, and that makes me feel pretty good.”

Bernard passed away in 2012 but his legacy continues. His surviving family members hope you enjoy these remembrances of historic Green Bay. All proceeds from sales of prints will go to support Bernard and Pat’s youngest sons Pete and Dan.