Millard Sheets' Centennial

Millard Sheets would have turned 100 this year, and the Los Angeles County Fair will celebrate his work at their Fine Arts Buidling. The Gallery website has a 2-minute video showing many of his paintings.

(The picture on the left is one of the mosaic murals of Shakespearian scenes decorating the Garrison Theatre of the Claremont Colleges. It has nothing to do with the Fair, but Millard Sheets created it.)

The Millard Sheets Gallery in Pomona grew out of the Fine Arts Program of the L.A. County Fair, which Sheets knew well. He won his first prize at the fair, and in 1930 he became director of the Fine Arts Program—holding the post for 25 years.

So it’s fitting that Millard Sheets’ life and art is featured at the L.A. County Fair this year—his centennial year. The show is titled "A Tapestry of Life: the World of Millard Sheets ."

The L.A. County Fair runs from September 7 to September 30; get more information at their website--including a map showing where the Millard Sheets Fine Arts Gallery is.

For more info on Mr. Sheets, here is his NY Times obituary.

As for his art, here are links where you can see it (if you don't live near one of his many building mosaics like those on Washington Mutual branches):

• The Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles has links to 19 or 20 of Sheets’ murals, some with photos. Many are Washington Mutual Buildings (he crafted the murals and mosaics for Home Savings, which was bought out by Wa Mu several years back)
• Bruce MacEvoy’s Watercolor site has a bio and samples of Sheets’ work
• Paintings for sale at Artnet.com
• Arroyo Seco at ArtScene.com
• Angel's Flight, also at ArtScene.com