Philip Shumaker
1921 – 1967
The sea in all its many moods, unencumbered by ships and boats, was the principle subject of Mr. Shumaker’s work. He believed that the true beauty of art lies deeper than mere surface realism. Although his paintings reflect great technical skill and fidelity to his subject, they also hold a depth of emotion that could only come from an intimate knowledge of his subject. In his own words, “To paint the sea, one must go to the sea.”
Dark Star Philosophia is one of the last remaining places to view Philip Shumaker seascapes. He designed our building around the existing stonework a few years before his death in 1967. Some of his finest paintings are on display here.
Born inland, in western Pennsylvania, Phil followed his own advice and maintained studios at Monhegan Island, ME and Rockport, MA. For a number of years he owned a studio in Mamaroneck, NY where he painted and taught several classes. To his students he imparted a profound philosophy of art which is reflected in the book “Painting the Sea” which he wrote the year prior to his death (now out-of-print).
Mr. Shumaker served in the Coast Guard in the Pacific area in WWII and returned to marry the former Geraldine Daly in 1945. He studied at the Grand Central School of Art and the Art Students League. Among his teachers were Frank Vincent Dumond, Edmund Graecen and Ivan Olinsky.
He was a member of Grand Central Art Galleries, New York; Doll and Richards, Boston; and IFA Art Gallery, Washington, D.C. He also belonged to many art groups: among them The Hudson Valley Art Association; The National Arts Club; Allied Artists of America; American Artists Professional League; Salmagundi Club; Copley Society; Rockport Art Association, Kennebunk Valley Art Assoc.; Guild of Boston Artists; and Dallas Artists and Craftsmen Assoc.
Mr. Shumaker’s works are represented in the collections of (as they were known at the time of his death) the Kerr Shipping Co., Standard Oil, the National Shawmut Bank and the Morgan Collection. Three of his largest paintings are on display at the Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York City.
-- portions excerpted from the
“Tribute to Philip Shumaker” by The Hudson Valley Art Association of New York
| 
