The Class of 1945

Robert Knipschild

Valeria Vore

Robert Leon Knipschild was born in 1927 in Freeport, Illinois, and probably graduated in the Class of 1945.

Bob Knipschild studied at the University of Wisconsin and at Cranbrook Academy of Art where he worked under Zoltan Sepeshy.

In 1950, at the age of twenty-three, his work was selected for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's widely acclaimed exhibition "American Painting Today."

In 1951 Edith Halpert added him to her Downtown Gallery in Manhattan. In 1952, Life magazine ran a story on Halpert's "new discoveries." Knipschild appeared in a photograph with several other young artists. Another Knipschild painting is reproduced with the story.

Since then he has received wide recognition, with many one-man shows and several prizes in important competitive exhibits world-wide.

Knipschild moved to Cincinnati in 1966 to become a professor of art at the University of Cincinnati and later became director of graduate studies in fine arts. He remained at UC until his retirement in 1991.

Knipschild was "a landscape artist, but the landscapes in question are so filtered through his own sensibility that, at first glance, they seem wholly abstract. This isn't so at all. A horizon line, usually in the lower half of the work, is frequent. Uneven terrain is suggested, as well as buildings and sometimes roads. People do not inhabit Knipschild's artistic concepts. He shows where they live and something of what they do to their environments, but the people themselves have taken cover. Deep within each work, under many, many further layers of oil paint, is a base coat of what he calls "British Red," a shade that runs close to -- but isn't quite -- terra cotta. The mostly invisible red covers a linen ground and gives weight and richness to everything above." - Jane Durrell

Robert Knipschild died in 2004.

Valeria M. Vore was born Oct. 21, 1927, in Freeport to Claude and Mable (Boyles) Vore. Valeria's father, Claude Vore, was the mailman in the Arcade when I was born. My father also worked at the Post Office.

Valeria married Ken Wiegand on Oct. 5, 1946. They met in the spring of 1946 on the Read Park tennis court and played tennis the rest of their lives. Valeria was Freeport tennis champion for 10 years, winning trophies for doubles and mixed doubles. She served on the boards of the YWCA, Highland Community College, Malcolm Eaton Enterprises, and Provena St. Joseph St. Vincent. She was a member of the committee to save the old Stephenson County Court House. She planted the Mary Ousley Garden at the Stephenson County Nursing Center and tended it for 27 years. Valeria was a founder of Pretzel City USA. She earned an Associate Degree from Highland Community College in 1968 and a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1973 from Rockford College, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

She worked as a manager for World Book Encyclopedia and won 10 trips abroad. Valeria visited 40 countries. She wrote and produced an educational coloring book, “Color Chicago Pretty,” used by Chicago area schools for teaching materials on Chicago.

Valeria Wiegand died Friday, March 27, 2009.

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