Jepson Art Institute, founded in 1945 by artist Herbert Jepson, was an

art school An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-second ...

located at 2861 West 7th Street in the Westlake district of central Los Angeles,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. It flourished from 1947 to 1953 — becoming an important center for experimental

figure drawing A figure drawing is a drawing of the human form in any of its various shapes and postures using any of the drawing media. The term can also refer to the act of producing such a drawing. The degree of representation may range from highly detailed, ...

art theory Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...

(

aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...

) and printmaking. Prior to this, Jepson served as an instructor at L.A.'s esteemed

Chouinard Art Institute The Chouinard Art Institute was a professional art school founded in 1921 by Nelbert Murphy Chouinard (1879–1969) in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In 1961, Walt and Roy Disney guided the merger of the Chouinard Art I ...

for a dozen years. The Jepson Art Institute closed in 1954.

Faculty

On the faculty, internationally acclaimed figurative artists

Rico Lebrun Rico (Federico) Lebrun (Naples, December 10, 1900 – Malibu, May 9, 1964) was an Italian-American painter and sculptor. Early life Lebrun was born in 1900 in Naples, Italy. He initially studied banking and journalism before taking art classes ...

and Francis de Erdely attracted students who later achieved distinction in their own fields such as sculptor

Marisol Escobar Marisol Escobar (May 22, 1930 – April 30, 2016), otherwise known simply as Marisol, was a Venezuelan-American sculptor born in Paris, who lived and worked in New York City. She became world-famous in the mid-1960s, but lapsed into relative obsc ...

("Marisol"), painters Frederick Hammersley and Delmer J. Yoakum, illustrator David Passalaqua, art director Richard Bousman, and architectural sculptor Malcolm Leland. Show business luminaries of the period such as

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

, Zero Mostel and comedian

Fannie Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedienne, illustrated song model, singer, and theater and film actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. ...

(artist/instructor William Brice's mother) often came to the Jepson Art Institute to hear the lectures of Lebrun and to sit in on classes with Jepson, who was known as a consummate figure draughtsman. The art of

serigraphy Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open me ...

was pioneered at the Jepson Art Institute by printmaker Guy Maccoy, who was among the first to develop the techniques of silk screen printing as a fine art medium. Jepson was also the founder of the Western Institute of Serigraphy. Other instructors included Hammersley, William Brice, Howard Warshaw, Milly Rocque, Geno Pettit and Roger Hollenbeck. The Institute's Design department included teachers Bill Moore, a well known graphic designer, advertising art director C. Manfred Grove, Gene Allen, and Kip Stewart, who later became a well-known

designer.

Notable alumni

Wallace Berman Wallace "Wally" Berman (February 18, 1926 – February 18, 1976) was an American experimental filmmaker, assemblage, and collage artist and a crucial figure in the history of post-war California art. Personal life and education Wallace Berman ...

Frank Tolles Chamberlin Frank Tolles Chamberlin (March 10, 1873 - July 24, 1961) was an American painter, muralist, sculptor, and art teacher. He studied at the Art Students League with George DeForest Brush and George Bridgman. He taught for four years at the Beaux ...

* James Grant *

Frederick Hammersley Frederick Hammersley (January 5, 1919 – May 31, 2009) was an American abstract painter. His participation in the 1959 '' Four Abstract Classicists'' exhibit secured his place in art history. Early years Frederick Hammersley was born in Salt ...

* Robert Irwin * Shirley Silvey *

Morton Traylor Morton Patrick Traylor (April 6, 1918 – April 28, 1996) was an American fine artist, designer, serigrapher and founder of the Virginia Art Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. Biography Born in Petersburg, Virginia, on April 6, 1918, Morton ...

* David Weidman * Delmer J. Yoakum

References

External links

Mgaa.net: Herbert Jepson biography
{{authority control Art schools in California Universities and colleges in Los Angeles Defunct private universities and colleges in California Westlake, Los Angeles Arts organizations established in 1945 Educational institutions established in 1945 Educational institutions disestablished in 1954 1945 establishments in California 1954 disestablishments in California Art in Greater Los Angeles