Robert Henry “Bob” Oppenheim, who was a professor in the Simmons University Department of Art and Music for more than 40 years, has passed away. He was 82 years old.
Oppenheim was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 19, 1943. He earned a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and later an MFA from Michigan State University. He joined the faculty at Simmons in 1969, teaching Introduction to Studio Art Studio Courses, including “Drawing” (ART 111) and “Color” (ART 112), as well as “Drawing the Human Figure” (ART 183), “Painting I” (ART 213), and “Nonrepresentational Painting” (ART 222).
Oppenheim founded the Simmons College Art Collection, in collaboration with Benjamin and Julia Myerson Trustman ’24. In 1975, he was appointed Curator of the collection by then-President William J. Holmes. Of this role, Oppenheim later said in a 2010 letter to Charlena Seymour, then-Provost:
“There is no question that continuation of this position is essential to the College. The most important role for the Curator is raising the cultural bar of the institution by enriching the aesthetic environment for the entire community, supporting pedagogical needs of the College, most particularly that of the Department of Art and Music. The documented acquisition outcomes are evidence of how this position contributes to the financial health of the institution.” He also noted that it was “not a one-person job.”
In 1982, the Trustmans established the Trustman Art Gallery and the Trustman Fellowship, to support art students. Oppenheim was named Curator of the Trustman Art Gallery, and in 1992 his title was changed to Director of the Trustman Art Gallery.
Oppenheim helmed the Trustman for 24 years (1982-2006). During his tenure, the Trustman Gallery exhibited the work of professional artists, as well as exhibitions of student and faculty work. At least 100 exhibits were shown in the Trustman during that time, some in partnership with other galleries and universities. Mediums featured ranged from painting, drawing, prints, photography, etching, serigraph prints, sculpture, mixed media, quilts, fiber and glass art, and sound and video installations. Across three decades, artists were welcomed to the Simmons campus to share their visions of the natural world, urban landscapes, couture fashion, mystical beliefs, and personal perspectives of past and lived history, be it local, women’s, or African American.
Oppenheim’s art was exhibited at the Trustman Gallery: “Hanging by a Thread” in 2004 and “Dot by Dot” in 2012. His work also made an impact in the wider art community, receiving Fellowships from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in 2004 and 2014. His work was shown at a number of galleries, including the Anderson Yezerski Gallery (then called the Howard Yezerski Gallery until 2023) from 2013-2021.
In 2018, Oppenheim was interviewed by BostonVoyager about his work:
“In 2003, I began a series that introduced sewing into my studio practice, a process that acted as a metaphor for loss and served as the perfect vehicle for conveying a feeling of transience, instability and uncertainty. My threads were left dangling….at loose ends. I continued to use a mixed media approach which incorporates sewing in my painting. In my recent solo exhibit “SPLITZ” (10/17) at the Howard Yezerski Gallery, where I exhibited the most reductive body of work that [I had] produced in many years. My restrained approach stemmed from a desire to create contemplative but playful images in a time of chaos. These paintings combine Flashe [a vinyl-based paint], thread and canvas on [a] panel.”
According to his family, Oppenheim “built a life defined by family, art, teaching, and friendship.” As stated in his obituary: “Bob was a man of rare kindness, grace, and steadiness. He was thoughtful, unassuming, and deeply generous. He loved jazz and embodied some of its finest qualities: subtlety, warmth, intelligence, and quiet depth. He was profoundly admired not only by family and friends, but also by students, colleagues, and all who had the good fortune to know him.”
To Oppenheim’s generous friendships, long-time friend Professor Bob White can personally testify.
“Every time I pick up a pencil, or a pen or a stick of charcoal, there is a resonance. There is an echo of Bob Oppenheim. I studied with him. He taught me to draw. (sometimes to draw breath.) I imagine that even now, if I would draw a graceful curve, he would say, make it straight. And if I were to draw a straight line, he would say, Scribble, Bobby, Scribble!”
