About the Center
This year, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) will do what it has done every year for the past six decades: It will provide a world-class education to thousands of working adults in more than two dozen countries. And it will do this better than any other institution of its kind—thanks to a remarkable faculty and staff; an innovative delivery system; and extraordinary complement of academic programs and services—including what has now evolved into a truly outstanding arts initiative. So in keeping with this longstanding tradition of excellence, UMUC will soon expand both its Arts Program and its Adelphi campus to include The Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard at UMUC.
Designed by well-known Baltimore architect Jim Grieves, this impressive new facility is far more than just another art gallery. This extraordinary cultural arts center will serve as an enduring tribute to the accomplished painter and sculptor, Joseph Sheppard. The Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard is destined to be a vibrant center for lifelong learning; and a unique focal point for the university's highly acclaimed visual art collections.
As a Tribute to the Artist
Joseph Sheppard is one of those rare artists who has succeeded as both a painter and a sculptor. Described as "an interesting mix of past and present," and "the reincarnation of a Renaissance artist," Maryland's Joseph Sheppard is considered one of the great contemporary masters of figurative art. Having built an enviable reputation as a realist in the time-honored tradition of the Old Masters, Sheppard believes that to portray the human figure in any medium, one must first understand its intricate anatomy.
Consequently, he has made that awareness a central focus of his life's work. Sheppard began his career at the Maryland Institute College of Art as an ardent student under the distinguished figurative artists Jacques Maroger and Reginald Marsh. Soon after, a Guggenheim fellowship brought him to Europe where he embraced the work of Rueben's and other great painters copied from the Louvre museum. To this day, Sheppard remains a dedicated student of classical art. Invoking his extensive knowledge of composition, perspective, draftsmanship, and anatomy, Sheppard "celebrates the aesthetics of the human form," capturing both life's agony and its ecstasy in every nuance of the human figure in action.
Over the years, Sheppard has produced some 2,000 paintings, drawings, and sculptures in a variety of mediums; published a series of highly respected books and catalogs on classical art and human anatomy; received dozens of prestigious awards and commissions; and exhibited extensively around the world. So it comes as no surprise that his family, friends, and patrons would choose to honor his multi-dimensional legacy by creating an equally multi-faceted space in which to preserve it.
Plans for the Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard at UMUC includes a light-infused painting gallery designed by Emma Dawson-Tart, a lighting expert who's credits include illuminating the Hope Diamond. The center will also house a magnificent indoor sculpture garden, along with a spacious reception area. The painting gallery will display Sheppard's of paintings from the university's permanent collection. The gallery will also be available for rotating exhibitions, the first of which will include significant works of art from two of Sheppard's most ambitious shows: "Fifty Years of Art" and "Beast of Burden." The sculpture garden will feature 22 of Sheppard's finest bronze and marble sculptures, all of which have been donated to the Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard.
As a Center for Lifelong Learning
Having taught painting, life drawing, and anatomy for over 18 years, Sheppard has inspired more than a few emerging young artists along the way, many of whom have embraced his artistic principles in furthering their own unique styles and successful careers. Nevertheless, both the study and the practice of this highly revered art form have declined significantly in recent years, as art schools have trended toward non-traditional courses of study.
That said, the Leroy Merritt Center for the Art of Joseph Sheppard will not only preserve Sheppard's beloved figurative art, it will also promote it, by serving as a lively center for scholarly research and experiential learning. Toward that end, it also will incorporate an exceptional educational library, as a sanctuary for art students and established artists interested in mastering the tenets of classical art, by exploring and recreating the human figure with its intricate anatomy.
As such, this library will house Sheppard's extensive collection of some 1,000 books about classical art and artists, along with a series of his original figure and still life drawings and anatomical studies. This library will also provide easels, so that students may copy from sketches and anatomy charts, or use what they have learned to create original work.
As a Focal Point for UMUC's Arts Program
And finally, the new facility's reception area will connect the center with UMUC's existing gallery, thus serving as a focal point for the university's diverse visual arts collection. The Center will provide visitors an elegant and spacious entrance into our Arts Program Gallery and the concourse galleries of the Inn and Conference Center.
UMUC launched its Arts Program in 1978 with great vision and only a few pieces. In the years that followed, it has grown to include two outstanding permanent collections, donated by artists and patrons, both here in Maryland and from around the world, including art works by David Driskel, Herman Maril, Gladys Goldstein, Grace Hartigan, Sam Gilliam, and Yoshitoshi Mori.
The Asian Collection reflects the university's longstanding international presence, incorporating both Japanese and Chinese art from as early as the 16th century. While closer to home, its Maryland Artist Collection serves as a permanent visual reminder of UMUC's deeply planted roots in Maryland soil. With more than 750 works, it is now one of the most comprehensive collections of art by Maryland painters, printmakers, photographers and sculptors, including the internationally renowned artist, Joseph Sheppard.