Description
A Tapestry of Life: The World of Millard Sheets
Authors: Tony Sheets and Janet Blake
Publication: The Millard Sheets Center for the Arts, Pomona, CA, exhibition catalogue, 2007
As a dynamic and influential leader in the arts in California, especially in the period between 1930 and 1960, Millard Sheets played a major role in bringing the art of California to the national arena. His importance as an artist, as a teacher, and as a humanitarian is without question. Furthermore, his belief in the responsibility of the artist in society informed his work throughout his career. In 1957 he said: “Art is an expression of the love of a man as a human being…a special language born out of tremendous need that is universal. The artist’s task now and in the future is to communicate this to mankind.”
Among the people dedicated to following Sheet’s paradigm are those that have worked the hardest to present a comprehensive picture of the man, his work, and his times in this exhibition. Curator and art historian Janet Blake’s attention to detail and vast knowledge of the artist has brought together an exhibition worthy of Millard Sheets. Tony Sheets, exhibition designer, has utilized his passion for art and his love for his father to make a very personal statement within the catalog.