Roger Crossgrove

Roger Lynn Crossgrove (1921 – December 14, 2016) was an American artist and educator who served as Professor of Art at the Pratt Institute and the University of Connecticut for a total of 35 years. He was best known for his monotype watercolors and photographs of the male nude.[1][2]

Roger Lynn Crossgrove
Born1921 (1921)
Farnam, Nebraska, US
DiedDecember 14, 2016(2016-12-14) (aged 94–95)
Storrs, Connecticut, US
OccupationProfessor of Art
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Illinois (MFA)
University of Nebraska (BFA)
Academic work
DisciplineFine arts
Sub-disciplinePainting, photography
InstitutionsUniversity of Connecticut
Pratt Institute
Notable studentsTomie dePaola
Websitehttps://rogerlcrossgrove.com/

Early life and education

Crossgrove was born in 1921 in Farnum, Nebraska, to parents Lynn E. Crossgrove (1896–1978) and Iva E. Crossgrove (1893–1976). He had a sister, Ardyce J., and a brother, Dale Eugene. His father was a farmer, and his mother was a self-taught artist. Both were Nebraska natives.[3]

During World War II, Crossgrove served in the United States Army. He was deployed to the 73rd Field Hospital on Leyte in the Philippines, serving from 1942 to 1946. He attained the rank of staff sergeant and received the Philippines Liberation Medal and the Bronze Star Medal.[2]

After his military service, Crossgrove returned to Nebraska and attended college on the G.I. Bill. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska in 1949 and his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1951 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.[1]

He was a resident fellow at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, New York, for several years beginning in 1957.[1]

Academic career

From 1953 to 1967, Crossgrove taught at the Pratt Institute's Art School and the Department of Graphic Art and Illustration in Brooklyn. He taught Tomie dePaola in 1953.[4] The pair became lifelong friends.[5] Robert Mapplethorpe, Ken Kerslake, and Michael Maslin also studied under him.[6]

In 1968, Crossgrove moved to Storrs, Connecticut, to teach at the University of Connecticut, where he chaired the art department until he retired in 1988.[6] Former students described him as patient, supportive, good-humored, and committed to imparting broad foundational knowledge to his pupils.[6] UConn named him a Professor of Art Emeritus, and the School of Fine Arts honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.[2]

Along with collector Billie M. Levy and library director Norman D. Stevens, Crossgrove was a driving force behind the Connecticut Children's Book Fair, held annually at UConn starting in 1992. Crossgrove was also a longtime supporter of the Northeast Children’s Literature Collection.[7]

Artistic work

In addition to teaching, Crossgrove had a national reputation as an artist. He lived and painted for two years in Mexico, in 1950 and 1965.[1] He spent more than fifty years painting watercolor monotypes, three of which were featured in the Smithsonian Institution's New American Monotypes traveling exhibit, which toured the US in 1978.[8] Starting in 1976, Crossgrove branched out into photography, focusing on the male nude and experimenting with solarization, a technique he pioneered and which subsequently saw widespread adoption among photographic artists.[9]

Crossgrove exhibited widely in group and solo shows. He exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1956),[10] Artworks Gallery in Hartford (2006),[11] the William Benton Museum of Art (2016),[12] and the Slater Memorial Museum. He won an Emily Lowe Award, a National Arts Club Gold Medal, and awards from the American Water Color Society, the Butler Institute of American Art, and Audubon Artists. He was a member of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts and the Connecticut Water Color Society.[2] He was deeply involved in the cultural life of Hartford and northeastern Connecticut, organizing regional exhibits and studio tours.[13] The state's poet laureate, Marilyn Nelson, honored him with her 2002 poem “The Good Man."[14]

In 2013, Crossgrove donated his papers to the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art.[1] Having become interested in children’s book illustrations in the later stages of his career, he donated his collections of photographs, posters, and children's books to the Northeast Children’s Literature Collection, part of the Archives and Special Collections at the UConn Library.[2]

Personal life

Crossgrove married Wynona McDermand (1927–2010) in 1948. The couple had six children: Cory, Chris, Cathy, Carolyn, Camilla, and Carl. His wife and son Cory predeceased him.[2]

Crossgrove died on December 14, 2016, at the age of 95 in Storrs, Connecticut.[2] He was interred at the nearby Gurleyville Cemetery.[15]

References
  1. Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Art. "A Finding Aid to the Roger Crossgrove papers, 1888-2012, bulk 1950-2006". aaa.si.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  2. Jenne, Ginger (2017-01-06). "Professor of Art Emeritus, painter and photographer, Roger L. Crossgrove passes away at age 95". UConn Today. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  3. "Roger L Crossgrove". familysearch.org. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  4. Polk, Nancy (1999-11-14). "Memories Make for His Many Ideas (Published 1999)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  5. Elleman, Barbara (1999). Tomie de Paola : his art & his stories. Internet Archive. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-23129-2.
  6. Wray, John (2002-04-08). "Crossgrove Art Exhibits Celebrate 'A Teacher's Legacy' - April 8, 2002". advance.uconn.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  7. Stevens, Norman D. (2001). "Celebrating Children and the Book They Read: The Connecticut Children's Book Fair 1992-2001". UConn Libraries Newsletter. 7 (4).
  8. Schwarz, Katherine (1978). "Monotypes: Where Are They?". The Print Collector's Newsletter. 9 (5): 155–158. ISSN 0032-8537. JSTOR 44130484.
  9. Leddick, David (2001). Male nude now. New York, N.Y.: Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-0635-7. OCLC 937290236.
  10. "1956 Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Sculpture, Watercolors and Drawings". whitney.org. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  11. Finholm, Valerie (2006-10-26). "Roger Crossgrove's Art". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  12. Dunne, Susan (2016-02-04). ""Male Nude in Art" in Storrs". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  13. Dunne, Susan (2012-11-19). "Artists Open Studios of Northeastern Connecticut". courant.com. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  14. "Roger L. Crossgrove: UConn Emeritus Professor of Art Marks 90th Birthday at Dodd Research Center". UConn Libraries Newsletter. 18 (1). 2012.
  15. "Roger L. Crossgrove (1921-2016)". findagrave.com. 2019. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
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