Obituaries

Elsie Dinsmore Popkin, a much-admired pastel artist and active alumna, died Jan. 8 in Winston-Salem, N.C. She was 67.

Popkin received her B.F.A. in painting at Cornell in 1958. Her works are in the collections of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell as well as in many public and private collections.

Her pastel paintings of views from the windows of the Johnson Museum were the focus of her show at the Johnson in June 2003, during her 45th reunion, and she was the subject of a film screened then at Cornell and viewable at http://ifup.cit.cornell.edu/popkin/. Other works of hers can be seen on campus in the lobby of the Statler Hotel and the office of the dean at the Johnson Graduate School of Management.

Popkin worked in pastels from the time she was a teenager. She turned from figurative to primarily landscape imagery 20 years ago, painting in situ to capture her response to the intensity of color and light of particular places.

In recent years she spent several weeks each summer on Appledore Island, in the Gulf of Maine off the coast of Portsmouth, N.H., where Cornell jointly operates Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML) with the University of New Hampshire. There she taught workshops in pastel painting and made her own paintings of poet Celia Thaxter's garden and the island's rocky shores, in homage to works by an earlier island visitor, American impressionist painter Childe Hassam.

"Elsie enthralled so many with her sparkle, dedication to painting and interest in training others," said James Morin, Cornell professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and former SML director.

In 1975 Popkin became the first artist-in-residence at Reynolda House, Museum of American Art, in Winston-Salem, N.C., and was named Winston-Salem Artist of the Year in 1989. She was a fellow at Yaddo artists' retreat and at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. In June 2002 she was an artist-in-residence at Crater Lake National Park.

Popkin's pastel paintings have been featured in such art books as Collin's Artist's Manual. She is listed in Who's Who in American Art and Who's Who of American Women. Her work is represented at Uptown Gallery, New York City; Christa Faut Gallery, Cornelius, N.C.; and Artworks Gallery, Winston-Salem, N.C.

At Cornell, Popkin served several terms on the University Council and was a member of its Committee on the Arts. From 1975 to 1980, she was a member of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning Alumni Advisory Council. She was an active participant for more than 11 years, since 1993, on the President's Council of Cornell Women (PCCW), which plans a memorial service at its spring 2005 meeting on campus.

Arnold Singer, professor emeritus of art in Cornell's Department of Art, died Jan. 10. He was 84.

A master of the art of lithography, Singer devoted his life to printmaking, painting and drawing. His subject was often the human figure, and his imagery was marked by strong, simplified forms, graceful contours and large areas of solid color.

Before coming Cornell in 1966 he lived and worked in New York City, printing at the Art Students League and teaching lithography at Pratt Graphic Arts Center, where he was a master printer. He printed works of art by such major artists as Rufino Tamayo, Stuart Davis, Larry Rivers, Ellsworth Kelly, Adolf Gottlieb and Barnett Newman.

A 1957 woodcut collage by Singer appeared on the cover of Fortune magazine, and another Singer print was selected for the 1966 UNICEF calendar. He went on to teach lithography, painting and drawing in Cornell's College of Architecture, Art and Planning for 22 years, becoming emeritus in 1988.

"He was a recognized expert of lithography and was well-respected by colleagues and students," recalled Victor Colby, a contemporary of Singer's in the art department.

Singer painted daily throughout much of his life. Family members say that, in addition to maintaining his deeply held artistic convictions, he will be remembered for his love of children, his friends and the ocean. He lived on Parker Street in Ithaca until December 2004, when he joined his son, Tony Singer, in Ringwood, N.J.

In addition to Tony, he is survived by his daughter, Poppy Singer, of Ithaca, and three grandchildren, Simnia and Michael, of Ithaca, and Leo, of New Jersey. A memorial open house for family and friends will be held Jan. 22 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Poppy Singer's home. Attendees are asked to RSVP in advance at 273-4041.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made toward a scholarship fund honoring Arnold Singer at the Art Students League of New York, 215 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.