As a boy, Joseph Venus often got in trouble in school when teachers caught him drawing cartoons of cowboys and Indians on his assignments.
He remembers one English teacher in particular. “She caught me so many times,” he said. “She said, ‘Joe, what are you doing?' ”
Now, decades later, Venus long ago graduated from the ranks of delinquent doodlers to become a professional artist and will have his artwork displayed at his alma mater, Deer Lakes High School.
Venus, a native of Arnold who grew up in New Kensington and East Deer, has donated 14 framed prints of his paintings of the American West to the Deer Lakes School District. He was moved to make the gift after finding out he was among six alumni being inducted this year into the district's “Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor.”
Venus, 79, graduated in 1954 from East Deer High School, which would later become part of Deer Lakes. He has lived in Utah, first in Salt Lake City, then south of there in Sandy, since 1972.
He moved to Utah with his wife, Shirley Ann Clark Venus, an Apollo native he married in 1958 and who died in 2006. He credits her with talking him out of being a race car driver and encouraging him to pursue a life in art.
Venus is coming home for the induction ceremony and banquet, being held Friday at the high school in West Deer. He said giving the district just one piece of his work was not an option.
“When they contacted me I thought, gee, what an honor that was,” he said. “Too many times I feel when people leave an area they forget it; I don't. I feel I'm obligated, and I should respect where I come from and the people that I knew and met and the people that helped me.
“Let me bring some of the West back east and give it to you. This is where it all started for me,” he said. “Words can't express the honor it gives me to have an opportunity to come back home.”
Deer Lakes spokesman Jim Cromie said the public can view the prints at the high school library Tuesday, before a school board meeting beginning at 7 p.m.
The district plans to spread the artwork among its four schools, Cromie said.
“We're proud to display them in our buildings,” he said.
Realistic Western themes
The professional prints of Venus' paintings include images of western wildlife and Native Americans. Venus also included 50 prints of “Children of the Forest,” featuring a Sioux girl with her arm around a fawn, which he said the district can use as it wishes.
Painting in acrylic, Venus describes his work as tight, technical and realistic — so much that some have asked if he paints over photographs.
“All of the paintings I do are of live models of people or animals,” he said. “You have to get to know the animals, and you have to know the people so you can paint their character. You have to feel them. What I always look for is the eyes — oh my, what a story they tell.”
Deer Lakes art teacher Christy Culp said her favorite was a portrait of a Native American titled “Noble Fremont Shaman.” Venus said the subject is an Apache named Carvell, from New Mexico.
“It's quiet and strong all at the same time,” Culp said.
Culp said she first saw the prints when they were unboxed Friday morning.
“It's a phenomenal collection of work. We're so lucky to have it,” she said. “Joseph Venus is a professional at what he does. This gift will be appreciated by students from kindergarten through 12th grade.”
Culp said the work can be used not just in the art program, but in other subjects including geography and history.
“It's not just an asset to the art department. It's an asset to the entire district,” she said.
Culp said she's looking forward to Venus talking with art students during the school day Friday, in part because he can show them it is possible to have a career in art.
“They can do anything they want to do, but you're going to have to work for it if you want to earn it,” Venus said.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-226-4701 or brittmeyer@tribweb.com.
