Portrait of Irvine D. Reid
Artist
Robert J. Wilbert
(American, 1929-2016)
Date2010
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsFrame Size: 54 3/4 × 42 3/4 in. (139.1 × 108.6 cm)
Image Size: 48 × 36 in. (121.9 × 91.4 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineCommission, 2010
Object numberUAC4258
DescriptionRobert Wilbert was a contemporary American figurative painter. He was born in Chicago on October 9, 1929. Wilbert received his fine arts degrees from the University of Illinois. He moved to Detroit where he taught painting at Wayne State University for 38 years. Ellen Phelan, a Detroit artist and former student of Wilbert’s, says he “was very alert to seeing a student’s actual originality and encouraging it.” Wilbert continued creating paintings in his studio even after he retired from teaching in the 1990s. His works have been displayed throughout the metro Detroit area, in places such as the Detroit Historical Museum and the Susanne Hilberry Gallery in Ferndale. Wilbert’s art has also been collected by the Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan State University’s Kresge Art Center, and the American Medical Association in Chicago.
In 2010, Robert Wilbert painted a portrait of Irvin D. Reid: Wayne State University’s first African American president (1997-2008). Dr. Reid was born in 1941 in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, growing up during the Jim Crow era. He lived with his grandmother, who taught at a two-room schoolhouse in Pawley for Black Americans. Dr. Reid possessed a passion for learning at a young age; he attended his grandmother’s morning and afternoon classes at the Pawley schoolhouse. He went on to receive his bachelor’s and master's degree in psychology from Howard University, a master’s and Ph.D. in business and applied economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a certificate in educational administration from Harvard University. In addition to serving as the president of Wayne State University, Dr. Reid worked as the university’s Eugene Applebaum Chair in community engagement, “facilitated the growth of TechTown, co-created CitizenDetroit, and served as the director for the Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society (FOCIS) and the African Democracy Project.” Wayne State’s Honors College has also been named after Dr. Reid.
Dr. Reid is truly a remarkable leader and educator, and Wilbert captures this in his portrait. Wilbert paints Dr. Reid in his doctoral regalia with a medal resting on top; this medal may be the Austrian American Medal, as Dr. Reid was the first recipient of this award in 1995. He received this honor from the Austrian American Council of North America for “exceptional service in promoting international understanding, global education, the support and advancement of individual human potential and work promoting world peace.” Dr. Reid sits with poise, his fingertips pressed together with his hands resting on his lap. He looks directly at the viewer with a neutral expression, which conveys a quiet confidence. Wilbert paints most of the composition in green, leaving very little contrast between the wall and Dr. Reid’s regalia. This may suggest parallels between green and Dr. Reid’s legacy. On top of being one of Wayne State’s colors, green represents growth and renewal, which is exactly what Dr. Reid brought when he was president of the university; he launched the school’s first major capital campaign, SmartZone designation, and the first National Institutes of Health (NIH) branch for health care outside of Washington D.C. Moreover, he expanded the Welcome Center, Bookstore, Recreation and Fitness Center, the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences facility, and the Wayne State law school building. The items on the desk in the background that Wilbert painted brown are reminiscent of buildings, which may be another reference to the renovations Dr. Reid made to Wayne’s campus.
Written by Angela Athnasios
Sources: "Remembering Robert Wilbert: 1929-2016" The Detroit News, "Reid, Irvin D." encyclopedia.com, "An Hour with...Irvin D. Reid," Aleanna Siacon, hourdetroit.com, February 9, 2017, "President Irvin D. Reid to receive honorary doctoral degree," today.wayne.edu, May 2, 2003.
Collections
