Mr. Robert Charles Koepnick

American, 1907 - 1995

(not assigned)Dayton, Ohio, USA

SchoolFigural Sculpture

BiographyFor six decades Robert Koepnick sculpted the face of the Miami Valley.
His bronze, plaster and wood art is integrated into the daily life of Daytonians. It greets visitors at the gates of the Montgomery County Fairgrounds and on the facade of the downtown public library, in the Soaring Spirits at Woodland Cemetery, the knight at Alter High School, the statue of Joseph at Mount St. John, the cross with corpus at Franciscan Medical Center and the Huckleberry Finn sculpture that is part of the permanent collection of the Dayton Art Institute.
Two decades ago, with the same inventive spirit of his father, Koepnick's son, John, began carving out his own brand of three dimensional artistry in the northern and eastern regions of the Midwest. Both men combined careers as artists and teachers and, at times, collaborated on commissions such as sculptures of Simon Kenton and Little Turtle for Cincinnati's Bicentennial River Walk in Covington, Ky.
Robert died in July 1995, but the work of both father and son will be celebrated in an exhibition at the University of Dayton's Rike Center Gallery from Jan. 16 through Feb. 13. Curator Brother Gary Marcinowski, S.M., assistant professor of visual arts at the University of Dayton, says the exhibition will be the first collective show of Robert Koepnick's work since his death.

"Robert Koepnick's work is important because he was so influential as an educator at the Dayton Art Institute," says Marcinowski. "He took his role as an educator seriously and recognized it as an important part of his life. He was a man who had a great sense of humility about himself, but a great sense of confidence about his work."
In November Robert's name was set in stone as one of the first four inductees of the "Walk of Fame," located in Dayton's Santa Clara Arts District. In 1979 Dayton city officials recognized his contribution to the community and the world of art by declaring Robert Koepnick Week.
Robert served as head of the sculpture department at the School of the Dayton Art Institute from 1936 to 1972, when he retired from full-time teaching. But he continued to teach part time until the school's closing in 1975. He also served as visiting sculptor at the College of Mount St. Joseph and at Antioch College. In May 1995 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Dayton. (Source: University of Dayton Press Release, January 17, 1997, Accessed August 10, 2004, )

Robert Koepnick (1907-1995)

Robert C. Koepnick, a native Daytonian, lived virtually all of his life in the Dayton region. He was a sculptor of national reputation and maintained a studio in Lebanon, Ohio until shortly before his death. He studied with Carl Miles, the noted Swedish sculptor. Koepnick was a prolific, versatile sculptor who worked in wood, bronze, stone, aluminum, and terra cotta and was known for his innovation in the use of aluminum. He was the Head of the Sculpture and Ceramic Department at the School of the Dayton Art Institute from 1936 to 1941 and also 1946 to 1974, touching the lives of hundreds of students. In 1974, he was honored with the title "emeritus" during spring commencement ceremonies at the College of the Dayton Art Institute. His works are displayed in many states and have been exhibited in distinguished museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Academy of Design, and the Dayton Art Institute. At least 17 of his major works are displayed in Dayton. During World War II he worked for the Aeromedical Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, helping to design gloves and oxygen masks that made it possible for pilots to fly at ever increasing altitudes.

In 1980, a 96-niche columbarium was constructed at the center of the Lawn Crypt area with the bronze statue "Soaring Spirits' placed above it. Woodland Cemetery is proud to have artwork from Robert C. Koepnick on display for all to enjoy.

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