Ray Kass: Artist, Educator, Collector

Ray Kass, professor emeritus of painting at Virginia Tech, earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1969 and learned to work in the prevailing nonobjective abstract style of that time.

His interest in the outdoors, though, led him to teach himself to paint in a realistic fashion, working from formal structure, through flat representation of natural forms, to arrive at recognizable vistas. The artist painted highways as seen through a windshield (his Winged Earth series) and very often he has turned to the nearest body of water for subject matter, painting the sea, ponds, lakes, creeks, and rivers.

Kass not only portrays earth and water, but paints with water, making the medium take larger and bolder forms than are commonly rendered in watercolors. His current practice is to paint segments that he fits together into multi-paneled polyptychs, allowing him to move past size constraints his paper would otherwise dictate. His subject landscapes are found in his Ellet Valley, Virginia property, interstate highways as he travels, and on the ocean boundaries of both coasts of the United States.

As a longtime painting professor at Virginia Tech, Kass sought to teach not only art majors, but students from other disciplines at the university, feeling that painting could provide a balance to other technical pursuits. He has continued educational opportunities beyond the classroom through studio internships and the Mountain Lake Workshops. These nationally recognized programs set up events where students and volunteers could assist an international series of artists by collaborating on large-scale art projects.

Kass and his wife, Jerrie Pike, have established a wide-ranging collection focused on abstract formalist works by artists ranging from Virginia-based colleagues to well-known names from across the globe. Japanese Zen Buddhist-influenced artwork is a particular interest for them. The couple has lent the Taubman works from their personal collection many times, in addition to generously donating works to the Museum’s permanent collection.

The Taubman Museum of Art is honored to shine a spotlight on its holdings from Ray Kass, a renowned artist, respected teacher, and astute collector.