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Sara Larkin

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Sara Larkin
BornDecember 28, 1946
Quincy, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 21, 2018 (aged 71)
Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Movementspace art
Websitesaralarkin.com

Sara Larkin (December 28, 1946 – November 21, 2018)[1] was an American painter who gained national attention for Spacescapes, a series of paintings celebrating America's achievements in space.[2]

Biography

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Sara Larkin was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on December 28, 1946.[3][4] She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where she developed a lifelong association with Will Barnet. After receiving her degrees, she continued her education in Japan under the sponsorship of the philosopher and advisor to the Emperor of Cultural Affairs and President of Osei University, Tetsuo Tanikawa. Under his tutelage she became acquainted with Nobel Laureate Yasunari Kawabata.[5] She spent a year in Bangkok, Thailand as the Women's and Social Editor of The Bangkok World. In Hong Kong, she studied Chinese art with the artist Lui Shou-Kwan, and Lawrence Tam, the Director of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. She also spent this time in Hong Kong, as a gallery owner, consultant, and artists’ agent.[6]

In 1974, under the auspices of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Larkin and her husband, Richard Lacey, organized its first exhibition of contemporary Chinese Art.[7] She produced Shui-mo (Water and Ink) which discusses the status of the contemporary state of the Chinese painting tradition in the 20th century.[8]

Between 1977 and 2002, Larkin maintained a studio and gallery in Washington, D.C.[9] In 1992, she moved to Annapolis, Maryland, where she served as Artist in Residence at St. John's College.[10] Until it was discontinued, in 2003, Larkin was a Sotheby Associate evaluating works of art for online auctions.

Larkins paintings gained national attention with Spacescapes, a continuing series of paintings celebrating America's achievements in space.[11] She researched these paintings by working directly with astronauts, such as General Thomas P. Stafford and Admiral Richard Truly, and scientists at NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Awards and distinctions

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Larkin received a special commendation from the Governor of Hong Kong and the U.S. Consulate for special contributions toward East-West cultural understanding. In 1976, she was a lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution on Modern Chinese Art, a field in which she has gained acknowledged scholarship.[12] She was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Artist Fellowship in 1981. She later was chosen to participate in the NASA Art Program, in which the agency commissioned artists to document the U.S. Space Program.[13]

Personal life

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In 1971, Larkin married Richard Lacey, who died three years later, in 1974. In 2012, she retired in Palm Beach, Florida, where she lived until her death on November 21, 2018.[14][15]

References

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  1. ^ "Sara LARKIN Obituary - Lake Worth, FL". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  2. ^ Dillon, Wilton (January 30, 2015). Smithsonian Stories: Chronicle of a Golden Age, 1964-1984 (1st ed.). Routledge. pp. 104–106. ISBN 978-1412854597. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Henry (June 16, 1978). "An Artistic Education Of Ginger Jars and Zen". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Bio". Sara Larkin. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  5. ^ "Influences". Sara Larkin. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  6. ^ "Lü Shoukun 1919-1975". Sotheby's. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Lü Shoukun 1919-1975". Sotheby's. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  8. ^ Dillon, Wilton (January 30, 2015). Smithsonian Stories: Chronicle of a Golden Age, 1964-1984 (1st ed.). Routledge. pp. 104–106. ISBN 978-1412854597. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  9. ^ Mitchell, Henry (June 16, 1978). "An Artistic Education Of Ginger Jars and Zen". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  10. ^ Johnson, Mary (April 7, 2006). "Annapolis art scene's new player". The Baltimore Sun. Tronc. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  11. ^ Dillon, Wilton (January 30, 2015). Smithsonian Stories: Chronicle of a Golden Age, 1964-1984 (1st ed.). Routledge. pp. 104–106. ISBN 978-1412854597. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  12. ^ "Javits, Agronsky Attend SI Event" (PDF). Smithsonian Institution Archives. The Smithsonian Torch. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  13. ^ "The Pennsylvania Gazette: Mar/Apr Alumni Notes". www.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  14. ^ "Sara LARKIN Obituary - Lake Worth, FL". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  15. ^ "Bio". Sara Larkin. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
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