2/20/2015 Sad news – Arthur Gilbert, long-time British member (and same age as me) died last Friday. He had been ill for a while. He attended several UK workshops and even the Crimea one, and took part in all our exhibitions. A lovely man and he will be missed.
– David A. Hardy, IAAA Trustee
That is sad news. I only met Arthur once ( at an IAAA exhibition in Manchester I think ) and was immediately struck by his quiet, gentle demeanour and disarming modesty. His paintings were beautifully executed with a very high degree of finish — an ‘old school’ space artist if I may say so.
– Garry L. Harwood FIAAA – Cornwall, England
Very sad indeed, I always loved his style of art. I am sure I met him at Dave Hardy’s IAAA Get Together at Dave’s house many years ago.
– Richard Bizley FIAAA – Lyme Regis, England
There were already too few traditional-media space artists left ?? Yet I’m sad to that I’ve never seen any of Arthur’s original pieces in the flesh.
– Malcolm Currie – Grove, England
This is indeed very sad News, the passing of Arthur Gilbert. I’ve shared a few workshops with him and found him to be a wonderful artist and a quick wit. My condolences to his family and friends. I hope the UK membership would send our condolences to the loss of our artist-colleague.
– Kara Szathmáry FIAAA – Panama City, Florida
I really enjoyed Arthur’s company in Crimea. I am sorry we will not cross paths again. One night in Crimea, cleansing the lingering flavor of dinner from our palettes with vodka, Arthur related this story:
He said that in his rural town in England he took his astronomical paintings to the town carpenter who would construct frames for him when he needed them for exhibitions. Eventually, after several visits and batches of frames, the carpenter asked Arthur what his paintings represented. Arthur was delighted that the man was interested in his work. Arthur explained that the paintings were depictions of planets and moons in the solar system… that he was trying to accurately show, for example, what Saturn would look like from the surface of it’s moon Iapetus. The carpenter looked at him for a few moments then said in his heavy rural accent, You’re not going to tell me you actually believe in all that stuff are you? I will raise a glass to Arthur tonight. He was a gentleman. He had a fine hand with his paints and a droll wit.
– Joel Hagen FIAAA – Oakdale, California
I’m so sorry to hear of Authur’s passing. We exchanged Christmas cards and brief catch ups for years but lost touch with each other in the last three or so years. Such a wonderful gentleman. I will miss him as well. – Pamela Lee FIAAA – Modesto, California
Sad news indeed. Arthur and I were roommates in Soviet Russian House of Creative Work (a sort of Holiday Inn-like institution in Crimea, where Union of Artists had visitation rights in the days of the the IAAA-Russian adventures in 1990. Charming, wonderful, artistic man, a calming influence in all the crazy adventures in the our headquarters Crimean town of Gurzuf, and our trips to Yalta and Sebastapol. We’ve been exchanging Christmas cards all these years.
– William K. Hartmann FIAAA – Tucson, Arizona
I never personally knew Arthur Gilbert however, he was obviously a highly esteemed person based upon the tributes shared by others. The passing of any person is a solemn event and I offer my sincere condolences to everyone who was privileged to have known him. May he soar the Cosmos eternally.
– Michael C. Turner – Murrayville, Georgia
