Join us for an evening to celebrate Mary Lou Gulley of South Mountain's Mystery Castle.
History | Art | Storytelling| Women of South Phoenix
Friday, December 4 6-8pm
Event description: Mary Lou Gulley called herself "The Builder's Daughter." In 1945, she arrived sight unseen to South Phoenix, having received a telegram from her father's estate. Her father, Boyce Luther Gulley, had left her family in Seattle when she was a young girl without any notice. For years, Mary Lou and her mother never knew that Boyce was living on the side of South Mountain, designing and building a found-materials masterpiece that eventually became known as "The Mystery Castle." When he died, he left the castle for Mary Lou, who continued to make the castle her own until she died in 2010.
Mary Lou was a gifted artist, an award-winning author (she won the Mark Twain prize for literature in the 1950s), an architect, a model, and a master of branding before branding was a thing.
An Evening with Mary Lou Gulley celebrates her contributions and legacy, featuring:
- Storytelling about Mary Lou and her work
- Never-before seen paintings and photographs of and by Mary Lou
- Honors Student showcase interpreting Mary Lou's work
- Reading samples of Mary Lou's published and unpublished pieces
Registration is by donation only. Pay what you wish. Donations support student historians and our community history efforts!
Please register by December 1st to receive an advance sample of Mary Lou Gulley's writing to discuss in small groups.
