Tiger Tracks

Walter R. Garver, Artist, age 96, died Friday, September 8, 2023 at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. He was the son of Walter Otto Garver and Victoria Constance Garver (nee Buckiewicz). He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Jane Mary (nee Swanz), 2017, his beloved sister Joan Shanahan, 2022, and her husband William, 2019. Survived by nephews David Richard (Doris) and William Lawrence (Susan) Shanahan. He has extended family in Lockport, Tonawanda, Ithaca and Rochester NY.

Born in Medina, NY, Walter graduated from Batavia High School in 1946, and enlisted in the Navy in his senior year. When the war ended in 1948, Walter enlisted in the Air National Guard. and served in active duty stationed at Niagara Falls Air Base through the early 50’s, as a meteorologist. His interest in cataloging the weather remained persistent throughout his life. Walter also studied at the Albright Art School 1946 -1950 and worked as an illustrator from 1948-1958. He had envisioned a career as an illustrator for magazines such as Collier’s but focused his concentration on painting from his own perspective. In 1951, at age 23, he won first prize for oil painting in the annual Western New York Art Exhibition, the youngest artist ever to win the award at the time. He also won Best in Show the next year. Walter continued his quest for knowledge and graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1955, and later returned to attain his Teaching Certificate in 1958. He taught Art history, Drawing, Painting, and Photography from 1958 to 1985 at Amherst High School. Former students would often reach out to thank him for the foundational guidance he provided in propelling their careers in art and appreciation of the visual arts. His work has been described as photorealistic, but Walter considered it more a combination of abstract principles and sometimes surrealistic interpretations of realism. He said, each subject made its own demands on his approach. Portraiture made different demands than landscapes or still life paintings. Walter was always interested in projecting a sense of fantasy in his work. He was influenced by the work of Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth as well as other well-respected painters. At one point he was advised not to become an artist by Charles Burchfield because it would be hard to make a living. Nevertheless, Walter was a prolific artist exhibiting constantly throughout his career. Upon his retirement, Walter worked as a contributing editor for Artist’s Magazine and Watercolor Magic Magazine. He fulfilled a long held desire to be a writer by publishing an historical novel that accurately reflected his research of the interactions of Native American and European cultures. Walter’s book titled, Children of the Forest, was published in 2009. Walter has received numerous honors for his work. He had one man shows at the Albright Knox Art Gallery, the Chautauqua Art Gallery, Hall of Art in New York City and the More-Rubin Gallery in Buffalo. His works have also been included in group shows with the Buffalo Society of Artists, winning the Gold Medal in 1967 and 1971, the Cooperstown Art Association, winning the Grand Prize in 1973 and 1975 and the Allied Artists Annual Exhibition, winning the Gilmore and Romans Memorial Award in 1994, among several others. Walter’s professional memberships included the Allied Artists of America, Audubon Artists, Buffalo Society of Artists, Copley Society of Boston and the National Watercolor Society. His paintings are in the collections of the Arnot Museum in Elmira, NY, the Butler Institute in Youngstown, OH, the Minnesota Museum and the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Walter will be laid to rest in Mount Calvary Cemetery, on September 30th at 10:45am.

Published by Buffalo News on Sep. 17, 2023