Ileta Kerr "Sweetie" Ladd (1902-1991)
Often called the "Grandma Moses of Fort Worth," Sweetie Ladd began her artistic career at the age of 60 years after an already full life. She was the daughter of Edgar Kerr, a prominent Fort Worth cattleman and farmer; a debutante; and a graduate of Texas Christian University. She married Homer W. Ladd, the heir of the Ladd Furniture Company, and for many years worked in his family's offices. Her personal interests included memberships in the First Presbyterian Church, The Fort Worth Women's Club, and the Fort Worth Garden Club.
In the 1960's, Mrs. Ladd became interested in art. She worked with the Fort Worth artist, Bror Utter, who was nationally known for his abstract paintings. After attending workshops in Paris, Spain, and Mexico, she ceased formal training and adopted her own "primitive" style in water colors and etchings. Her work received local and statewide acclaim. Among her best projects were two series "Cries of Fort Worth,"which portrayed the bread man, the hot tamale man, and the other street peddlars, and "Fort Worth Landmarks," which depicted the First Ward School, the Carnegie Library, and other local buildings that she remember from her youth.
These paintings came to the Fort Worth Public Library originally in 1979 on permanent loan, and were displayed in the library's administrative offices. In 1992, the Library purchased them from Ladd's estate using funds donated by the community. In 1999, the Library, with the support of Summerlee Foundation of Dallas and TCU Press, published the book, Sweetie Ladd's Historic Fort Worth, with text by Cissy Stewart Lale.