Crater Lake National Park was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902. It was the fifth of over sixty national parks in the United States. In commemoration of Oregon's only national park, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) has created a new exhibit, Creating a Masterpiece: Artists and the Origins of Crater Lake National Park (on view from November 20, 2026 to January 9, 2028) and published the Oregon Historical Quarterly's Fall 2026 special issue, entitled "Crater Lake and Artistic Imagination."  

Professor Peter Boag and OHS curator Megan Lallier-Barron tell the story of how 19th-century landscape painters brought Crater Lake to regional and national audiences and influenced its national park designation. They share the inspiration and research behind the exhibition and discuss how - through everything from historic paintings and photographs to museum objects and QR codes - they have made the story available to a modern audience. 

Peter Boag is Arnold M. and Atsuko Craft Distinguished Professor in the Department of History at Washington State University. While he now lives north of the Columbia River, he was born and grew up in Oregon and has an enduring interest in the Cascade Range. He is the author of various books, articles, and essays on Pacific Northwest history and is curator of the Oregon Historical Society's new exhibit on Crater Lake. 

Megan Lallier-Barron is the curator of exhibitions for the Oregon Historical Society and is responsible for researching and developing content for exhibitions of all sizes. Megan holds an MS in arts management with a focus on museum studies from the University of Oregon and a BA in archaeology and art history from the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Potsdam. 

Artwork by Peter Boag 

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These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp