Dinner Conversation with Nancy, Roger Shimomura

Exhibition Label: "Windmills to Workshops: Lawrence and the Visual Arts," Jul-2004, Kate Meyer Since coming to teach at KU's Visual Arts Department, Roger Shimomura has become widely known for his print series "Oriental Masterpieces" and "Oriental Masterprints," which combine traditional Japanese print styles, American cartoon imagery and a contemporary sense of graphic design. Shimomura donated this painting to the Spencer in 1988 in honor of Nancy Anne Zimmerman (1937-1988). Co-owner of the former Kellas Gallery here in Lawrence, Zimmerman not only showed Lawrence artists’ work in the gallery, but also encouraged them by treating them to meals, arranging employment opportunities, and visiting their studios. Originally untitled, Shimomura renamed this painting Dinner Conversation with Nancy upon its donation to the Spencer, remembering that, “Nancy had a lot of interesting dinner parties at her house. Always a lot of artists, and a lot of fascinating and sometimes contentious conversation over food.” In addition to the arts, Zimmerman took on numerous other causes: she advocated banning the use of poison to control the city’s pigeon population, fought to save the old railway depot, and organized fundraisers for the Lawrence Community Theater. In a memorial article at the time of her death, Shimomura remarked, “I’ve never met anyone like her who was so enthusiastic and positive about life.”