Invitation to Art Exhibit in Cannes, France
Article from Art Exhibit
The below article was found in the archives of Dr. Merritt's work. It was an article written about his work that accompannied his display in an art show he was featured in.
Dr. Dean F. Merritt
Dr. Dean, as his many students called him, was born November 4, 1914 and was raised in Clovis, New Mexico. It was evident early in his life that he had a natural talent for art. While he pursued his career in chiropractic medicine much of his time was spent studying and developing his own artistic talents. He was a self-taught artist, having never taken formal training of any kind. He said he painted because that is what God intended for him to do. After his tour of duty in the United States Navy during World War II, he and his wife, Chaney K. Miller Merritt, returned to Clovis to begin their lives. It was then that Dr. Dean started, in earnest, his collection of art that remains intact to this day.
His teaching career began in the late forties. It started out as only two evening classes, but as his reputation spread the demand for his classes were unending. At the peak of his art teaching, he had classes on three afternoons and four evening each week, and during the school months he added a Saturday afternoon class just for elementary age children. He taught classes in Clovis, Portales, Texico, Cannon Air Force Base, Melrose and Texas classes in Friona, Farwell, and Bovina. His youngest students were eight years old and his oldest were in their eighties. His rapport and love for his students had no boundaries but his expectations were high. Very few, if any, ever let him down. Many of his beginning art students continued with Dr. Dean through high school and went on to pursue an art career and obtain a college degree at his insistence.
He was the first art teacher in Clovis and through his efforts the Clovis Art League was established. In 1978, he was honored by this group with the title of “Dean of Clovis Art League” for his years of devotion to the development of art in Clovis and New Mexico. He was the first art teacher in Clovis to have an annual art exhibit of his students’ work. The show was first held in the library of the old Clovis High School. Later it was held at the Youth Recreation Building as the size of the show grew year by year.
Although painting was what he was best known for, Dr. Dean’s mastery reached into sculpturing and poetry. He worked with many different materials including wood, sandstone, granite and even scrap iron and a welding torch. He most treasured wood pieces set in his home on the buffet. These are the Pineal, David and Goliath, and the Robe.
His poetry is just now beginning to surface as his family painstakingly reviews his papers. One book he completed is entitled Thoughts from an Earthen Vessel. It contains poems to many of his family members, friends and poems about most of his paintings. Though now we will never know the complete meaning to his poetry, its recurrent theme always returns to his strong belief in God. He also had books started on the Story of Apostle Paul, and a completed portfolio on the churches of New Mexico which include watercolors of each church and his thoughts concerning that church. Shortly before his death, he started on a final project – putting his philosophy of teaching art in book form. We know now he never intended to finish any of these projects because he never was finished learning and experiencing life.
Dr. Merritt’s unusual style, one that only he could truly explain, has brought him recognition both nationally and internationally. His first exposure outside of Eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle began with the 38th Annual Exhibition for New Mexico Artists in Santa Fe at the Museum of New Mexico Art Gallery in 1951. He continued to show there for many years. Of all the museums that exhibited his work, the Museum of New Mexico was his favorite. After his first exhibition in 1951, he entered his work in many other shows. These include, the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in Dallas, Texas; the Roswell Museum in Roswell, New Mexico; the Mary E Bivins Memorial Library in Amarillo, Texas.
Two of his highest international awards came to Dr. Merritt because of his reputation as an expressionistic and religious painter. The first was a teaching position in Israel. This offer came to him from a group of former art students who had returned to Israel as missionaries. Though he was unable to attend, he sent them many slides and papers on his teaching techniques to help them in their efforts. The second award is truly the highlight of his career. In June of 1971, Dr. Merritt was named one of five Grand Laureate Artists at the Seventh International Grand Prix de Cote d’Azur in Cannes, France. He exhibited two works in the invitation-only juried show and was named the outstanding artist in his field by the jury. Some one thousand paintings were exhibited from artists in twenty countries.
The Grand Laureate Award was given to the top selection in each of the five fields at the art show, with “Revelation” by Dr. Merritt winning the expressionistic category.
His paintings were exhibited along with those of the other four Grand Laureate Artists in a special tour of Germany, France and Austria, concluding with an exhibition in Deauville, France during the summer. His work and a biographical sketch appeared in “La Revue Moderne de Las Arts”, a French literary and art publication.
These many shows and awards were in their own way important to Dr. Merritt, but were not his reasons for creating his style of art. His last catalogue number was 771 and there are many he did not have time to catalogue. These were his reasons for his art. It stems from a feeling, an emotion, a belief in God and his innate ability to transfer these feelings, emotions and beliefs to poetry, sculpture and canvas.