Robert Edward Weaver
Birth Date: 1913
Death Date: 1991
Artist Gallery
Robert Edward Weaver was an American regionalist artist, muralist, and illustrator. Born in 1913, in Peru, Indiana, Weaver shared his hometown with the American Circus Corporation and the Indianapolis 500. Both fascinated him and would greatly influence his work throughout his career. Growing up, Weaver spent his free time around the circus, eventually acquiring a job as a ticket taker so he could become a part of the world which he loved. During 1935 and 1936, he received two medals for Mural Design from the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design. In 1937, Weaver won the John Armstrong Chaloner Paris Prize, the largest single art prize at that time for painters in the United States. His prize consisted of a $6,000 stipend to study in Europe for 3 years and a New York studio space. His painting, “The Repensky Riders,” won the competition after a timed paint-off between two finalists. Weaver graduated from the Herron School of Art in 1938 with a BFA in painting. In 1938, Weaver won the third place Julius Hallgarten Prize at the National Academy of Design with his work, “Wagon 97.” On April 21, 1938 Weaver received a letter from the Grand Central Art Galleries of New York informing him that he had been elected a life-member of the Galleries. He was one of only three, from over 400 applicants, to be accepted that year. During 1938, he painted “Those Riding Hannefords,” an image of circus performers riding horses while standing, which was invited to be exhibited at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. On May 25, 1939, Weaver left for England to fulfill his John Armstrong Chaloner Paris Prize overseas obligations. He studied in some of Europe’s major art centers including London, Amsterdam, and Paris. He returned to the United States before the German occupation of France began. Weaver obtained permission to finish his overseas studies in Mexico and departed on March 18, 1940. In Mexico, Weaver visited many historic sites and was exposed to the work of muralists including Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco, whose style of work would later inform his mural compositions. In September 1941, Weaver returned to New York. Weaver joined the U.S. Navy, and in August 1943 he was transferred for duty at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California. There, Weaver was commissioned by the station's Commanding Officer to paint a set of 5 murals for the dining halls of the Bachelor Officers Quarters. The murals depicted the development of the California territory. They took three months to execute and were in the style of the 1930's WPA mural work. In August 1943, Weaver was assigned to Air Rescue Squadron Three (VH-3) and he designed the unit's squadron insignia. His VH-3 Squadron rescued numerous downed allied and enemy pilots during the campaign, distinguishing itself and earning the Navy Unit Commendation for its service. Throughout his deployment, Weaver continued to produce art, creating numerous action depictions to chronicle his squadron's work. In 1946, Weaver separated from the service with the rank of Lieutenant and returned to Indiana. In Indiana, Weaver undertook a major commission sponsored by the Indianapolis Methodist Hospital to paint a large mural illustrating circus scenes in the hospital’s children’s wing. In the fall of 1946, Weaver joined the faculty of the Herron School of Art. He served as Chairperson of the Department of Illustration and taught painting, mural design, drawing, and illustration. After he returned from the war, Weaver’s work began to include more common subjects depicting life in Indiana. “The Butchering” was one of these works. It won the L.S. Ayres & Company art competition in 1947, and was later invited to be exhibited at the National Academy of Design's 123rd Annual Exhibition in 1949. “The Butchering” has been described as the Midwestern equivalent to “The Gross Clinic” by Thomas Eakins, and a realistic portrayal of farm life in the Midwest. In 1950, Weaver was selected to execute 4 murals, depicting Lilly pharmaceutical products and their uses throughout the world, for the newly remodeled offices of the Eli Lilly & Company. In 1951, with the Lilly murals completed, Weaver traveled to Maine to take a fresco class being offered at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. The 1950's were referred to by Weaver as his "Gothic period." The subject matter of his work became somber, and several paintings of religious content were produced. “He Went Up Into the Mountain,” and “Daniel In the Lions Den” (aka “Daniel”) are prime examples of Weaver's work from this period. His circus themed works were executed in this new angular style as well. During this period, Weaver also started incorporating the use of more earth tones in his coloring, a trend which continued through much of the 1970's. Commissions for mural work in his home state continued. Weaver executed 10 murals for the Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children's Home in Knightstown, Indiana. Weaver also became acquainted with Tony Hulman, the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He would often take his students to the speedway to sketch images of cars and drivers. Weaver would produce annual artworks for Hulman to display in his home, office, and at the Speedway Museum. While still teaching, Weaver began to design a variety of commercial products, from auto accessories to artists’ tables and designs for stationery. Weaver also continued to produce easel work, although less prolific. Weaver continued to exhibit in faculty exhibitions at Herron and at the Hoosier Salon. Weaver also had illustrations published in “Saturday Evening Post”, “Holiday”, “Good Housekeeping”, “Children’s Playmate”, “The Brownie Reader”, and “Child Life”. During the 1960’s, Weaver began working less with oil paints, shifting to a preference for acrylic. He also began showcasing his talent for drawing. His works became extremely accurate in their portraiture of people and objects associated with the history of the American circus. Weaver also produced very large formatted portraits of famous performers. His works looked at extraordinary performers doing everyday things such as rehearsing, bathing, resting, and waiting in anticipation of their performance. In 1960, together with friends and Peru citizens, Weaver established the Circus City Festival, Inc. (CCFI), with Weaver serving as president. Weaver also established a beautification program, ‘Operation Facelift,’ to encourage the merchants of Peru to adopt a circus theme for their storefronts and decor. The CCFI was instrumental in the foundation and promotion of the Peru Amateur Circus and the Circus City Festival, which is still held each July in Peru to celebrate the area's rich circus heritage. In 1977, Weaver's work was the subject of a one-man exhibition at the Indiana State Museum, “Circus Heritage In Indiana”. Weaver applied and received a sabbatical from Herron to produce new works for the exhibition, illustrating the roots of circuses in Indiana. The exhibit ran from September 25, 1977 through January 15, 1978, but due to its tremendous reception and attendance the exhibition was extended until February 15, 1978. In 1981, Weaver’s work, “Butterfly Ladies,” was included in an exhibition entitled “Center Ring the Artist: Two Centuries of Circus Art” mounted by the Milwaukee Art Museum. The exhibition traveled to the Columbus Museum of Art, The New York State Museum, and the Corcoran Gallery. Weaver retired as Professor Emeritus of Art from the Herron School of Art in 1982. He moved to New Bern, North Carolina and opened a restaurant with his family. There, he continued to produce easel work and experimented with abstract art, something he stated he needed to do to grow as an artist. He also worked on an unpublished fantasy picture book. Towards the end of his life Weaver never strayed too far from his love for the circus as a subject. He continued to sketch until the last week of his life when he finally put pencil and pad aside in July of 1991. Weaver passed away on July 18, 1991, in New Bern, North Carolina. Weaver’s work has continued to be featured in exhibitions. “One Man's World,” the first exhibition to look at the entirety of Weaver's life’s work, was organized by Eckert Fine Art of Indianapolis in 1995. A retrospective exhibition of Weaver’s work was produced from a collaboration between Miami County Indiana Historical Society, the International Circus Hall of Fame, Peru Circus City Festival, and the Peru Community Schools Art Museum in 2003. In 2016, Weaver was featured as one of the most influential artists from Indiana in Indiana State Museum’s exhibition, "200 Years of Indiana Art: A Cultural Legacy." Robert Weaver’s works are held in many public collections including the Grand Central Gallery, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana State Museum, and the Haan Museum, as well as numerous private collections.