Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
One of Dayton’s best-known, multifaceted and prolific artists has died.
Raymond L. Must, an original member of Wright State University’s Art Department faculty and co-founder of the Dayton Printmakers Cooperative, died July 22. He was 93.
Must’s works included large abstract paintings on unstretched canvas, figurative drawings, technically inventive prints, and intimate and inspiring daily sketchbooks.
He was born in 1928 in Detroit, Michigan. His first significant experience with the arts was in primary school when his art teacher showed the class how she worked and carved out a wooden sculpture. She became an early role model.
He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University, where he majored in psychology and art, and obtained a Master of Arts degree from The Ohio State University, focusing mostly in print making. He was a research assistant and taught classes at OSU. He then taught middle school for two years and served two years in the U.S. Army.
Taking a position to teach at the Dayton Art Institute (DAI), Must moved to Dayton in 1964. The first printing press came to the DAI just before his arrival and he, and other artists, would build the DAI’s studios. Later, he became one of the aforementioned original faculty members at Wright State University where he taught from 1967 to 1991, achieving emeritus status.
“Ray was a gifted teacher, a consummate artist, and an engaging intellect,” said artist David Leach. “He was my closest colleague at WSU as we both taught printmaking there. He was both a colleague and a mentor, and his influence — the example he set as an artist, teacher and individual — dramatically affected my life and career.”
