Fulfilling the Eye: Anthony Eterovich (1916 – 2011)

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 21, 5:30 – 8:00pm

“The magic of Shakespeare with words, the thrill of Beethoven in music, is certainly a rewarding experience. But the human eye, being precious, demands another kind of fulfillment…” Anthony Eterovich.

This winter, the Artists Archives is pleased to present Fulfilling the Eye: Anthony Eterovich (1916 – 2011), a retrospective that not only rewards the gaze but traces the evolution of Eterovich over his eight-decade career. The exhibition features rare, early work from the 1930’s including charcoal studies of the artist’s classmates and children impacted by the Great Depression. Over 30 pieces highlight key moments in Eterovich’s creative journey, ranging from vibrant, abstract portraiture to photorealistic scenes of American life and magical realist paintings that blend cityscapes with bursts of color and wonder.

Eterovich’s long career was fundamentally linked to Cleveland. Born and raised in the city’s Tremont neighborhood, Eterovich won a scholarship to the Cleveland Institute of Art (formerly the Cleveland School of Art) where in 1938, he received a degree in portraiture. It was there he was encouraged by designer Viktor Schreckengost, who would occasionally turn classes over to Anthony for a few hours each week. After serving in the army during World War II, Anthony went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Masters in Art Education from Western Reserve. During his lifetime, Anthony Eterovich participated in more than one hundred and fifty exhibitions, including multiple May Shows at the Cleveland Museum of Art and other exhibitions at the Butler Institute of American Art, the Canton Art Institute, the Massillon Museum of Art, Ohio University, and the Chautauqua Institute.

In addition to his technical mastery, Anthony Eterovich was known for the impact of his teaching on the local arts community. For more than forty years, he was an instructor for Cleveland Public Schools and taught at Kennard Middle School, Rawlings Middle School, Lincoln High School, and Rhodes High School, where he chaired the art department from 1962 to 1978. Eterovich also instructed evening and weekend classes at the Cleveland Institute of Art for a remarkable 54 years. A few of Anthony’s notable students include Alice Crist, Angelo Stevens, Carl Stokes, Maxine Masterfield, Dorothy Winovich, Richard Bobby, Stuart Wooton, Wanda Ullman, Cathy Pavia, Tom Roese, Laura Ospanik, Andy Rokakis, Walter Ongaro, Nadine Miller, Steven Seward, Danny Pavia, and George Kozmon. In 2014, a classroom was named for him in the Institute’s new Joseph McCullough Building and The Anthony W. Eterovich ’38 Memorial Scholarship fund was established to “provide support to exceptional drawing students.”

Fulfilling the Eye combines pieces from the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, ArtNEO, the estate of Anthony Eterovich, and consignments from Tregoning & Co., to create an unprecedented view of the artist’s life and work. The exhibition opens with a free reception on Thursday, November 21^st, 5:30-8:00 which will feature remarks by his daughter, Karen Eterovich.

As part of the exhibition, the Artists Archives will offer Everything in its Place: Personal Archiving with Karen Eterovich on Saturday, November 23, 1:00-3:00pm. In this program, Karen, daughter of the late painter Anthony Eterovich, will share the tribulations and triumphs of archiving her father’s work as well as give practical advice on managing large, personal inventories. A must-attend event for collectors/artists (and their families!) looking to ways to get organized. The event is free and open to public, however, please register by emailing info@artistsarchives.org or calling 216.721.9020.