Art That Deserves to Be Seen, Not Stored Out of Sight
By Patty Ducey-Brooks
This past month, a friend approached me with a request: would I be interested in sharing information and images with our readers about her brother’s artwork? Once I learned about his background and saw several of his mid-century modern paintings, I was deeply impressed.
Marjorie’s brother, Richard Anthony Marks, loved painting, yet he never sold his work. Instead, he stored the pieces in his parents’ garage, where they remained for more than 50 years. Remarkably, despite being kept in less-than-ideal conditions, the artwork was not damaged and remains in excellent condition.
Recently, Marjorie asked representatives of Mission Hills Heritage whether they might be interested in exhibiting Richard’s artwork during the organization’s Mid-Century Modern Weekend. They agreed, and several pieces were displayed at the evening reception and again at the lecture the following morning at Francis Parker School in Mission Hills. According to Marjorie, the artwork received enthusiastic feedback, and some pieces were purchased by event attendees.
The following background offers a closer look at the artist and his work.
In September 2025, San Diego State University honored Richard’s work by exhibiting many of his paintings in the Richard Anthony Marks (RAM) Gallery at SDSU. The RAM Gallery currently houses projects created by SDSU art students.
As a student at San Diego State College, now San Diego State University, Richard studied under Ilse Ruocco, Everett Gee Jackson, Professor J.D. Swiggett, and Professor G.N. Sorenson. In 1963, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Richard loved color and was prolific in abstract and hard-edge painting, watercolor scenes, stylized flowers and suns, and stylized still lifes. He also drew inspiration from music for his artwork.
In 1963, San Diego Magazine held a contest to design the cover of one of its issues. Richard won the contest and received a $50 prize. He also designed covers for various local publications, including the Faculty Library of San Diego State College and the Catholic Alumni Club Exhibition Guide. In 1964, Richard completed his master’s thesis, Eleven Variations of a Still Life. Rather than creating a different arrangement for each painting, he used the same objects throughout the entire project. Because the arrangement remained constant, he was challenged to discover and develop many variations from a single composition.
After San Diego State, Richard studied graphic design at the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles. In 1967, he began his teaching career in San Diego, teaching art for the San Diego Community College District, Sweetwater Union School District, and San Diego Unified School District. While teaching, he also continued taking one-on-one classes with professors at SDSU. He would be assigned a painting project and given the semester to complete it. Richard now has an eponymous gallery at San Diego State University. He has also exhibited his work at the San Diego Art Institute, the Artists’ Guild, and the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art.
When rheumatoid arthritis began affecting his mobility, Richard turned to designing floral arrangements and painting for his own enjoyment.
Now that the collection is safely stored in a temperature-controlled environment, Marjorie is helping Richard make many of his pieces available for sale.
Anyone interested in Richard’s work may contact Marjorie at memarks1789@gmail.com.
Category: Art, feature, Historical, Local News
