Everett G. DuPen, a sculptor and professor emeritus, died May 25, 2005. He was 92 years old.
He was born June 12, 1912, in Chico, Calif., to George and Etta (Novelle Freeman) DuPen.
In 1925, the Hollywood, California newspaper, The Daily Citizen, praised 13-year-old Everett DuPen’s talent in sculpture, calling him “The Genius Among Us.”
At his death at age 92 he was “an elder” and fellow of the prestigious National Sculpture Society and The National Academy of Design.
In the years between he had a remarkable career as a sculptor and teacher spanning eight decades.
Mr. DuPen began his formal art studies at University of Southern California in 1932, later transferring to Yale, graduating in 1937. He was on the USC and Yale fencing teams and was a Southern California fencing champion in foil.
In addition to studying architecture at Harvard, he spent a year studying the masters at the American Academy of Art in Rome. Later in his career he took leaves to study bronze casting in Florence, Italy and art in India, Nepal and Egypt.
Mr. DuPen was smitten with the colorful, unconventional and talented ballet dancer from the New York Metropolitan Opera’s Corps de Ballet, Charlotte Nicks. They married in 1939.
They moved to St. Louis where he taught at Carnegie Institute of Technology before settling in to his 38 year career at the University of Washington.
As professor, he played a major role in building the UW’s sculpture division into a nationally and internationally known group. Besides his popular sculpture courses, he was well known for his life drawing classes.
In retirement he continued to teach evening drawing classes and was mentor in the Northwest Stone Carving Association. DuPen was most well known for his beautiful figurative pieces in terra cotta, stone, wood and bronze. He taught, influenced, and was a friend and mentor to generations of national and Seattle artists.
His sculpture can be found in many public parks and buildings as well as in museums and private collections. Among them are the DuPen Fountain at the Seattle Center and the fountain at the Joel Pritchard Building at the Washington State Capitol.
Since the late 1950s DuPen spent time in his summer cabin on Vashon Island on Dilworth Point with his family. He used maple from his yard to carve several pieces of sculpture. He modeled with and raved about the quality of the clay in the bank in front of his cabin. He said it was better than what he could buy. He displayed his work at the Blue Heron in a one man show in the early 80s. Many artists on Vashon remember him as their teacher.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Charlotte Nicks DuPen, and daughters Destia DuPen Hermes and husband Rodney of Redmond, Marguerite Day of Vail, Colo.; Ninia DuPen of Seattle; son William E. DuPen and his wife Patti of Vancouver, Wash.; Novelle DuPen-Meyerhoff and her husband Robert of Newton, Ma., Dr. Stuart L. DuPen and Anna of Bainbridge Island, 11 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to Lambda Rho (Artists, Alumni & Friends of U.W. School of Art) for art scholarships Box 353440. Seattle, Wash. 98195
Memorial services will be at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 16, at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 3050 California Ave. S.W., Seattle.
To view the art of Mr. DuPen go to www.everettdupen.com.
