Isaacs Art Center

Millard O. Sheets (1907-1989)

Born in Pomona, California on June 24, 1907, Millard Sheets grew up on a ranch, where he developed a love of the land and horses. After graduating from Pomona High School, he enrolled at the Chouinard Art School in Los Angeles (1925-29) where he was a pupil of Chamberlin and Hinkle. He further studied with Theodore Modra. 

After traveling and painting in Europe, he taught at Chouinard from 1929-34 and in 1948. During the 1920s and 1930s he came into national focus with his regionalist scenes similar to those of Thomas Hart Benton. He was an art professor and director at Scripps College from 1932-55 and then spent six years as director of the Otis Art Institute. In 1960, Sheets moved north to the Mendocino coast, where he built his dream home, "Barking Rocks," in Gualala. He lived there until his death on March 31, 1989. 

In addition to having painting talents, he was an architect, mural designer, and maker of tapestries and mosaics. Projects included the mosaic dome and chapel at the National Shrine in Washington DC, the mosaic library tower at the University of Notre Dame, the mosaic facade of the Detroit Public Library, the mural of the Rainbow Tower at the Hilton Hotel in Honolulu, and murals for the Los Angeles City Hall.

Bio from AskArt​