Update: Lewis' paintings capture Sussex over the decades
The Delaware art community lost a legend Aug. 19 with the passing of Jack Lewis at age 99.
Lewis was a well known and respected figure in the First State; his murals hang in Legislative Hall, museums, galleries, businesses and many Cape Region homes.
“He was someone who wasn't an elitist artist; he thought art was something everyone should enjoy and experience,” said Jack's friend Jim Flood. “He was a gentle man and a hard worker as an artist. He enjoyed his work and especially enjoyed working in Delaware.”
Born in Baltimore in 1912, Lewis moved to Delaware in the mid-1930s to work as an artist for the Civilian Conservation Corps, painting the daily activities of three CCC camps doing mosquito control in Lewes, Magnolia and Leipsic. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1942 and was sent to the Pacific. Upon his return, he earned a master's degree and began teaching. He worked in public schools and Delaware Technical Community College from 1949 to 1976.
In 1986, Lewis was commissioned by Delaware’s Legislative Council to create murals celebrating the bicentennial of Delaware’s Ratification of the Constitution. The murals are still hanging in Legislative Hall in Dover.
The news of Lewis' death saddened many throughout the state, including Gov. Jack Markell, who presented Lewis with an Order of the First State - the highest honor for meritorious service the governor can grant - in 2010. Lewis was also presented with the Governor's Award for the Arts in 1986.
“Jack Lewis was a great American artist of enormous talent,” Markell said in a statement. “His work spanned most of a century and painted a vivid story of life in Delaware and the Eastern Shore. I am sorry to hear of his passing but feel fortunate that our state was the beneficiary of his talent. His family and friends can find comfort in knowing future generations will be able to see Delaware through his eyes in the great body of work he leaves behind.”
Lewis published several books of his artwork, with forewords written by notable Americans such as N.C. Wyeth and Eleanor Roosevelt. After retiring, he taught in many venues in the community, including the Delaware Correctional Center and the Rehoboth Art League.
The art league held a retrospective of Lewis' life and works in November, which included art from his early days with CCC and his latest pieces. RAL Executive Director Sheila Bravo said Lewis' impact on the art community was more than evident at the event.
“So many people came and talked about Jack and his influence on their lives and their artwork,” she said. “We're certainly saddened by his passing. We celebrate his amazing legacy he has left in the state not only in his artwork but the many artists he influenced.”
Lewis moved to Maine with his wife in the 1990s to be closer to his daughters, but his decades in Delaware lingered in his thoughts.
“He always remembered Delaware and missed it,” Flood said.
Well into his 90s, Jack made the trek all by himself from his new home near his daughters in Maine to exhibit his work at the Rehoboth Art League Outdoor Show each August.
When he heard of Lewis' death, Cape Gazette publisher Dennis Forney said, “What a life - he followed his passion.”
Cards of condolence can be mailed c/o Sallie Sharpless, 604 River Road, Eliot, ME 03903. With family services being held in Maine, a memorial service will be held at Rehoboth Art League at a later date. A scholarship fund for budding artists will also be established in his memory.
