Raymond Howell

Oakland painter and printmaker Raymond Howell died suddenly Sunday morning, January 6, the same day that an exhibition of 14 of his recent artworks opened at the Oakland Museum of California. He had been a fixture of the Bay Area art scene for more than 40 years, and his 1965 painting "The Brown Family" was shown at the opening of the Oakland Museum and was later purchased for the museum collection.

The gallery talk scheduled for Sunday, February 17, at 2 p.m. at the museum, in which Mr. Howell was to discuss his work, will be presented by his widow Janet Nasser on his behalf. The exhibition Recent Works by Raymond Howell will be on view in the museum's Oakes Gallery through March 31, 2002. School programs supporting the exhibition will be held in February and March; teachers can call the museum's docent center at 510/238-3514 for information.

Raymond Howell began painting when there was little public interest in African American art, and he tried during his lifetime to serve as a role model for artists in bringing images of African American culture to a larger public. He was especially committed to promoting arts education opportunities for minority children.

Mr. Howell, an Oakland native, was a longtime participant in the Bay Area art scene. In the mid-1960s he opened Art Associates West, a gallery and art school in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, which operated for nearly a decade. His work has been exhibited widely throughout the United States, and in 1999 Stanford University presented a 40-year retrospective of his paintings.

The Brown Family, 1965, oil on canvas, Oakland Museum of California Founder's Fund

"We are saddened by the untimely death of Raymond Howell," said Oakland Museum of California Director Dennis Power. "The museum is honored to present an exhibition of his most recent works, and we share a sense of loss with the many people whose lives were touched by his spirit and art."

Jan. 6 will be declared Raymond Howell Day in Oakland, and San Francisco will celebrate Raymond Howell Day on Sept. 7, his birthday.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, Jan. 10, at 3 p.m. at the Fuller Funeral Home, 4647 International Blvd., preceded by viewing on Wednesday, Jan. 9, from 1 to 5 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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