Bay honors Escanaba-inspired artist | News, Sports, Vacancies

Visitors to the Noah Johnson Daily Press admire Robert Addison’s various works from Bay College.

ESCANABA — Bay College is hosting a celebration to honor a renowned artist who found inspiration in the city of Escanaba.

Art historians consider Robert William Addison the greatest realist of the 20th century, and Bay boasts the most extensive collection of his original works.

“The late realist painter Robert Addison would have turned 100 this year and we wanted to celebrate that.” said Christine Granger, Bay College art department coordinator and fine arts coordinator.

Granger and Matt Shaughnessy, representatives of the Robert Addison Gallery, spoke about the history, life and work of Addison.

Addison originally planned to become an architect, but everything changed when he joined the army. Unfortunately, Addison suffered an injury that required him to recover for a long time.

“During his recovery he began to paint, the Red Cross sponsored an exhibition of his work and every painting sold, and he decided to pursue a career in art.” Granger explained.

This marked the beginning of Addison’s career as an illustrator, as he now had the confidence to make art.

Addison took his talents to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he further honed his craft.

The school is also where he met the love of his life, Betsy Wickman Addison, who introduced him to a new source of inspiration, Escanaba.

Betsy lived in Escanaba, where Addison moved after they married in 1950.

Addison loved to draw different buildings, streets and even trees in Escanaba.

He took what he saw on a given street and turned it into masterpieces. He painted images of what the area looked like at the time, including South 9th and South 5th Avenues, the corners of South 7th Street and South 4th Avenue, and the corners of South 6th and South 9th Avenues South Street and others.

Addison used several techniques throughout his career, but his best mediums were oil, egg tempura and acrylic.

Granger said Addison was a master of his craft, demonstrating excellent use of light and shadow.

“He shows us these incredibly beautiful buildings filled with filigrees of light, but to show us the beauty in something broken is also something amazing that we can achieve from him.” she said.

Addison, originally from Boise, Idaho, found solace in the small-town aesthetic of Escanaba after spending time in the big city of Chicago.

“He kind of missed the simplicity of home. And I think you can see that in his paintings, like pausing to see the beauty of light and shadow.” – said Granger.

Following the presentation, two prints of Addison’s work were auctioned off, with proceeds going toward a trip to Chicago for Bay Art Club students.

Guests were then treated to a reception with food and birthday cake in honor of Addison’s 100th birthday. They also got to see some of his works in the gallery.

Those who want to see Addison’s work but can’t travel to the Bay can visit robertaddisongallery.com.

Shaughnessy compiled the site and presents a digital collection of Addison’s works, biographical works, and other related information.

“I would like to thank the community for participating in this event, and I also thank Matt Shaughnessy for coming to Escanaba today to be a part of this celebration and to be here (to) tell stories to community members. and then thank those who bought our works, which we sold at an auction for art club students,” – said Granger.