Phil Dike: From Paris to the Peninsula

Sherman Library and Gardens welcomes the community to view a new exhibition, Phil Dike: From Paris to the Peninsula.  Phil Dike (1906-1990) was an American painter and art teacher. His work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Academy of Design, the Library of Congress, and the Sherman Library.

Sherman’s Historic Adobe, as well as Sherman Library’s walls currently showcase Dike’s work from his early days as a student artist in Paris to his career as a professional artist depicting his beloved Newport Beach.

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In the 1930’s, Phil Dike’s innovative watercolor paintings developed into what is known as the California Style. By 1935, he was teaching color theory at Walt Disney Studios and working on animated features such as Snow White and Fantasia.  He and fellow artist Rex Brandt formed the Brandt-Dike Summer School of Painting in Corona del Mar. Dike taught there in the summer and at the Chouinard Art Institute during the school year.

This exhibition was generously supported by Woody and Judie Dike and by the Kewell Family Foundation.