Donald Allan Shepherd
Artist/Designer
Early Life
1930, October 9 | Born, Eureka, California
View in the gallery.
1947 | Watercolor Paintings, Fortuna, California
Sponsored by Sidney and Laura Armer. The newspaper headline read, “Don Shepherd, 17, thrills many at first exhibit.”
Solo Exhibition
1948 | Watercolor Paintings, Delphindale Gallery, Fortuna, California
Solo Exhibition
1948 | Watercolor Paintings, Stafford Inn, Humboldt County, California
Solo Exhibition
1948 | California School of Fine Arts, San Francisco, California
Recipient of statewide competition scholarship.
1949-1950 | Attended California School of Fine Arts, San Francisco, California
Studied painting with Clyfford Still, David Park.
View the 1949-1950 CSFA Curriculum & Faculty Publication.
1950-1952 | Korean War, Air Force, Special Services
One responsibility was arranging art classes on the air bases where he was stationed both in New Jersey and in Korea.
1952 | Kings College, Wilmington, Delaware
Solo Exhibition
1955 | Paintings, Fortuna, California
Sponsored by Sidney and Laura Armer.
Solo Exhibition
1953-1957 | Catan-Rose Institute of Arts, NYC, Long Island, New York
Four year advanced study program under Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas (1907-1997) Certificate in commercial and graphic arts.
Professional Career
1956-1976 | Jonynas and Shepherd Art Studio, Inc., (New Business Formed), Hollis, New York City, New York
Don and his former professor form a design and artisan studio in New York City specializing in churches. The studio undertook projects for churches that included architectural design in conjunction with sculptural and interior components, such as stained glass windows, metal ware, alters, pews, carved doors, and major high-relief concrete exterior sculpture.
View in the gallery.
1956 | The 40th Annual Exhibition of the Society of American Graphic Artists, Architectural League, New York City, New York
Group Exhibition
“The Alley Variety,” Woodcut Print
1956-1958 | Sacred Heart Art Competition, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio
Two-Year Traveling Group Exhibition
1958 | 61st Annual National Exhibition, Washington Water Color Club, United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Group Exhibition
“Veronica’s Veil,” Woodcut Print
1958 | St. Lawrence Seminary Chapel, Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin
Don created forty-four stained glass windows, V.K. Jonynas provided an original design for the chapel.
1958 | Bay Printmakers’ Society Fourth National Exhibition, Oakland Art Museum, Oakland, California
Group Exhibition
“New Life,” Woodcut Print
1958 | Audubon Artists 16th Annual Exhibition, National Academy Galleries, New York City, New York
Group Exhibition
“Veronica’s Veil,” Woodcut Print
1959 | 154th Annual Exhibition of American Water Colors, Prints and Drawings, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Group Exhibition
“New Life,” Woodcut Print
”Romulus and Remus,” Pencil
1959 | Oil Paintings and Woodcut Prints, Almus Art Gallery, Great Neck, New York
Solo Exhibition
Paintings: “Meditation on Death,” “Creature of the Night,” “The Cows in the Meadow,” “Inner Man,” “Dairy Herd,” “Small Symphony,” “Rafting,” “Man with Falcon”
Woodcut Prints: “Christ and the Apostles,” “Review of Little Known Men,” “Look What I Found, Adam!,” “New Life,” “Veronica’s Veil,” “The First Snow”
1959 | 42nd Annual Exhibition of the Society of American Graphic Artists, Riverside Museum, New York City, New York
Group Exhibition
“Quo Vadis,” Woodcut Print
1959 | 7th Annual National Exhibition of Prints, Bradley University, Glen Oak Pavilion, Peoria, Illinois
Group Exhibition
“Look What I Found, Adam!,” Woodcut Print
1959 | 1st National Exhibition of Contemporary American Graphic Art, Oklahoma Printmakers Society, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma
Group Exhibition
“New Life,” Woodcut Print
1959 | California Society of Etchers 44th Annual Exhibition, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California
Group Exhibition
“A Curious Group,” Woodcut Print
1959 | 31st Annual Exhibition and 50th State National Exhibition, Honolulu Print Makers, The Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, Hawaii
Group Exhibition
“A Curious Group,” Woodcut Print
1960 | Ultimate Concerns: A National Exhibit of Religious Prints and Drawings, Edwin Watts Chubb Library Gallery, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
Group Exhibition
“Christus Dolorosus,” Woodcut Print
1960 | Audubon Artists 18th Annual Exhibition, National Academy Galleries, New York City, New York
Group Exhibition
“The Forest People,” Watercolor
1960 | 19th Annual National Exhibition, The Painters and Sculptors Society of New Jersey, Jersey City Museum, New Jersey
Group Exhibition
“Fantasy,” Watercolor
1960 | National Drawing and Monotype Show, Peoria Art Center, Peoria, Illinois
Group Exhibition
“The Watch,” ”Shore Bird,” ”Morning Ritual”
1960 | 12th National Print Exhibition, The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York
Group Exhibition
“A Curious Group,” Woodcut Print
1960 | 23rd Exhibition, The Society of Washington Printmakers, The National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C.
Group Exhibition
“One Face of Winter,” Woodcut Print
1960 | ‘The Electric City’ Mural, The United Illuminating Company, West Haven, Connecticut
View in the gallery.
1960s (early) | School Sisters of Notre Dame Chapel, Wilton, Connecticut
Commissioned to create stained glass windows.
1961 | Works by Don Shepherd, AG Gallery, 925 Madison Avenue, New York City, New York
Solo Exhibition
Watercolor Paintings: “World War I,” “World War III,” “Shrieking War Machine,” “Archaic Vibrations,” “Totem of the Elements,” “Science Symbol,” “Blue Mirage,” “Fantasy,” “The First Day,” “Handwriting on the Wall”
Woodcut Prints: “Review of Little Known Men,” “One Face of Winter,” “Christus Dolorosus,” “Shadow in the Forest”
1963 | St. Joseph’s Provincialate, Latham, New York
Commissioned to create stained glass windows.
View in the gallery.
1964-1965 | Vatican Pavilion, New York World’s Fair, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York
Selected to design the major portion of the exterior, interior art, and furnishings. Don designed and executed ten major, high relief concrete sculptures that were mounted on the perimeter walls of the building.
View in the gallery.
1965 | Sacred Heart Church, Myrtle Avenue, Eureka, California
One of the first new Catholic “churches-in-the-round” on the West Coast. Designed Dalle glass windows and sculptures.
View in the gallery.
1966 | St. Brendan’s Church, The Bronx, New York City, New York
Interior and liturgical designer–artist. Designed stained glass windows, altars, metalware, interior relief sculpture.
View in the gallery.
1968 | Church of the Ascension, Hamden, Connecticut
Interior and liturgical designer–artist. Designed and furnished pews, altars, metalware, stained glass windows, carved doors and major high relief, exterior sculpture. Published in Progressive Architecture, Dec. 1971.
View in the gallery.
1969 | 6th Biennial National Religious Art Exhibition, The Galleries, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Group Exhibition
“Resurrection Crucifix,” Wood 22” x 18”
1971 | St. Labre Indian Mission, Ashland, Montana
Architectural, interior and liturgical designer–artist. Designed and furnished all interior items including altars, metalware, and stained glass windows on this very culturally-oriented project.
View in the gallery.
1971 | Glass America, (New Business Formed), by Don Shepherd, V.K. Jonynas, Yan Rieger, Hollis, New York
A group of creative artists/designers working for a revolution in visual glass concepts and glassmaking techniques.
View in the gallery.
1973-1976 | Libbey Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio
Product designer and consultant.
1974 | Chapel for Saint Vincent’s Hospital, Harrison, New York
Partnered with doctors and staff to create a very unique solution focused on the emotional/psychological impact of design choices.
1974 | Mercy Hospital Chapel, Baltimore, Maryland
Interior and liturgical designer–artist. Planned the selective use of elements from their 100 year old chapel into the new solution. Designed and furnished all of the interior appointments including altars, metalware and stained glass windows. The architects and Don Shepherd each received the "Honor Award for Architectural Excellence" from the Maryland Society of AIA.
View in the gallery.
1975 | St. John’s University, Jamaica, New York
Designed and executed a major repoussé bronze relief sculpture for the exterior of the new Fromkes Law Building.
1975 | D.A.S. Designs, (New Business Formed), Stamford, Connecticut
Focuses on environmental art and industrial design. (Developed glass line under his own name, D.A.S. Designs, manufactured by Blenko and sold nationally by the Rubel Company).
1975-1991 | Blenko Glass Company, Milton, West Virginia
Design director and designer.
View in the gallery.
1976 | The Visitors’ Center, Rikers Island Prison, New York City, New York
Art Commission by the City of New York. Mixed media contemporary mosaic form “Birds In Flight” — the image of an interconnected pattern of birds flying in sunny morning fog. The content focused on need for positive, emotional attributes in this family/inmate meeting place.
View in the gallery.
1976 | ‘New American Glass: Focus, West Virginia,’ Huntington Galleries, Huntington, West Virginia
Group Exhibition
1977-1980 | St. Mary’s Hospital, Brooklyn, New York
New, 11 floor, $36,000,000 full service hospital. Project interior designer – graphics & signage designer. Also designed furniture for special areas in this very culturally oriented project.
View in the gallery.
1979 | ‘12 From New Glass’ — Contemporary Glass Art Group, Gallery 2, New York City, New York
Group Exhibition | “An exhibition of works representing some of the most exciting and diverse achievements in the field of Studio Glass.”
1979 | ‘New Glass — A Worldwide Survey,’ Corning Museum, Corning, New York
Group Exhibition
1979 | Toledo Museum, Toledo, Ohio
Group Exhibition
1980 | Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C.
Group Exhibition
1980 | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
Group Exhibition
1980 | ‘New Glass — Focus Glass Art Society,’ Huntington Galleries, Huntington, West Virginia
Group Exhibition
1980 | ‘A Century of Glassmaking in West Virginia,’ Huntington Museum, Huntington, West Virginia
Group Exhibition
1980 | ‘Improvisation in the Glass Factory,’ Huntington Museum, Huntington, West Virginia
Solo Exhibition
1981 | ‘Glass Heads,’ The Heller Gallery, New York City, New York
Solo Exhibition
1981 | San Francisco International Airport Museum, San Francisco, California
Group Exhibition
1981 | Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England
Group Exhibition
1981 | ‘Beyond Tradition, 25th Anniversary Exhibition,’ American Craft Museum, New York City, New York
Group Exhibition
1981 | ‘Masks,’ Southern Ohio Museum, Portsmouth, Ohio
Group Exhibition
1981 | ‘Marietta College Crafts National ‘81,’ Marietta, Ohio
Group Exhibition
1981 | ‘Glass Routes,’ DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, Massachusetts
Group Exhibition
View exhibit publication.
1982 | St. Stephen Catholic Center, Ona, West Virginia
Interior design & liturgical consultant. Designed the stained glass windows, glass tabernacle, bent glass altar and ambo, and the repoussé bronze processional cross and candlesticks.
View in the gallery.
1982 | ‘American Glass Art — Evolution and Revolution,’ Morris Museum of Arts, Morristown, New Jersey
Group Exhibition
1982 | ‘Explorations in Glass,’ The Craftsman’s Gallery, Scarsdale, New York
Group Exhibition
1982 | ‘4th Annual National Invitational,’ Contemporary Artisans Gallery, San Francisco, California
Group Exhibition
1982 | Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
Group Exhibition
1982 | ‘Glass: Artist/Designer/Industry,’ Castle Gallery, College of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, New York
Group Exhibition and Guest Curator
View the exhibition brochure.
1982 | ‘Guardians of Sacred Places,’ The Heller Gallery, New York City, New York
Solo Exhibition
View in the gallery.
1983 | ‘American Glass Masters, 1983,’ Human Arts, Dallas, Texas
Group Exhibition
1983-1984 | Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church, Centerport, New York
Interior design & liturgical consultant. Designed all interior furnishings including stained glass windows, glass and bronze tabernacle, granite appointments and pews.
View in the gallery.
1984 | ‘Glass America 1984,’ The Heller Gallery, New York City, New York
Group Exhibition
1984 | ‘12th Annual National Exhibition,’ Habatat Galleries, Lathrup Village, Michigan
Group Exhibition
View the 114 participating glass artists.
1984 | Design Concepts, Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
Developed design concepts to present chairs and other items for Herman Miller.
1985 | ’Family Ties,’ The Greens of Columbia, Columbia, Maryland
Installed a major granite sculpture commission (primary figure 20’ tall x 18 tons).
View in the gallery.
1984-1986 | Good Shepherd Church, Holbrook, New York
Interior design & liturgical consultant. Designed stained glass, metalware and granite and wood appointments.
1986 | ‘The Spirit Chain’ Sculpture and Drawings, Anne O'Brien Galley, Washington, D.C.
Solo Exhibition
View in the gallery.
1986 | ‘New American Glass Focus 2 West Virginia,’ Huntington Galleries, Huntington, West Virginia
Group Exhibition
1987 | ‘Between Art and Craft, The Fine Line,’ Academy of the Arts, Easton, Maryland
Group Exhibition
1987 | ‘Glass Invitational,’ Robert Kidd Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan
Group Exhibition
1988 | Parish Church of St. Leo, Stamford, Connecticut
Created new church building from a gymnasium. Architectural, interior design, liturgical consultant and artist. Designed stained glass windows, granite appointments, and repoussé metal tabernacle.
View in the gallery.
1989 | D.A.S. Designs, (Business Relocation), Holland, Michigan
1992 | Meridian Inc., a Herman Miller Subsidiary, Spring Lake, Michigan
Designed award winning wood front file system.
1992 | ‘A New Office Concept,’ Herman Miller, Inc., NeoCon, Chicago, Illinois
Co–designed a total environmental solution as a product, looking at the future of offices.
View in the gallery.
1992 | Annual Shareholders Meeting, Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
Created, in concert with employees, multi–colored spontaneously painted fabric banners (22 each 40’x5’), transforming the HMI distribution center into a meeting environment.
View in the gallery.
1993 | Leadership 2000 — Environment, Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
Created dynamic training environment.
View in the gallery.
1993 | ‘Madeira’ Wood Casegoods, Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
Co–designed a concise office work system with uncommon furniture details achieved with state of the art manufacturing processes.
1993 | Annual Shareholders Meeting, Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
Worked with Milliken & Company using the latest computer driven textile technologies to create a dramatic meeting space.
View in the gallery.
1993-1995 | ‘Ambient Design, Towards the Nurturing Environment,’ ADVANCE RESEARCH PROJECT Sponsored by Herman Miller Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
Ambient Design is a proactive and restorative design strategy that address the significant and increasing erosion in the quality of our daily lives. The cornerstone of this construct is the intimate and inseparable connectivity of nature and humans and how we experience our environment consciously and subconsciously — and where nurturing is the natural by-product of the Ambient Design process and solution.
View in the gallery.
1994 | Aspen Institute, Aspen, Colorado & Herman Miller Inc., Zeeland, Michigan
Acting as interior and product designer to update training, learning and conferencing facilities. Designing carpets and fabrics to be developed in collaboration with Milliken & Company.
1994 | ‘T.D. Collection,’ Home Office Product Line, Herman Miller, Inc., and Crate & Barrel
Co–designed the “T.D. Collection” a home office product with uncommon furniture details achieved with state of the art wood manufacturing processes that is very close to custom hand made. Supports technology and workers in a variety of ways at home. Sold through Crate & Barrel stores.
View in the gallery.
1995 | Ambient Design Company (New Business Formed), Holland, Michigan
Human-centered research and environmental product design focused on human nurturing attributes. John Hetrick becomes associate in the Ambient Design Studio.
View in the gallery.
1995 | ‘Ambient Design,’ Sponsored by Herman Miller, Inc., and Milliken & Company
Ambient Design program addressing new process and product design methods. Herman Miller advance research document ‘Ambient Design’ published Dec. 1995. Don receives contract for twelve textile patterns from Herman Miller and manufactured by Milliken & Company.
1995 | ‘Seasons Center for Renewal,’ Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, Michigan
The Fetzer Institute sponsors Ambient Design Learning Cell project and research around the integration of design services and products in support of their evolving organizational needs. Focus on the use of a collaborative design process to develop products and environmental artifacts that have a positive psychological impact upon visitors and staff.
1997 | Herman Miller Introduction of Ambient Design Textiles
The introduction of the first collection of three textiles developed out of the 1995-1996 Ambient Design research project cosponsored by Milliken & Company.
1997-1999 | Fetzer Administration Building Renovation, Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, Michigan
The Fetzer Institute sponsors Ambient Design Learning Cell project around the integration of environment and product design services in support of their evolving organizational direction. Examination and renovation of public and private work environments — interior architecture, furnishings, work support artifacts.
1998 | Herman Miller Art Consultants / Exhibit Design, Holland, Michigan
Contracted by Herman Miller to work with the Cranbrook Museum, Ambient Design Company is a consultant in selecting and designing an exhibition for graduate art works from the Cranbrook School. These were exhibited at Herman Miller over a one year time period.
1999 | Fetzer Institute Exhibition, Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Upon completion of interior renovation of the Institute Administration Building, Ambient Design Company is commissioned to work with internal program groups in designing an exhibit around the work of the Institute in their newly built display areas.
1999 | Ambient Design Company (Business Relocation), Ann Arbor, Michigan
2002, February 23 | Died, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Selected Lectures
1979 | ‘Environmental Design — A Hospital,’ Marymount College, Tarrytown, New York
Interior Design Class
1980 | ‘Contemporary Stained Glass,’ Marymount College, Tarrytown, New York
Seminar on the History of Stained Glass
1981 | Glass Department, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
Visiting Critic, Stained Glass
1981 | ‘An Approach to Glass,’ The Silvermine School, Silvermine, Connecticut
Panel Discussion and ‘Hands on’ Crafts Exhibition
1981 | ‘My Current Glass Work,’ Glass Department, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
1986 | 16th Annual Class Art Society Conference
Speaker and Panelist
Permanent Collections
Philadelphia Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Wood cut
New York Public Library, New York City, New York – Wood cut
Corning Museum, Corning New York – Glass Sculpture
Huntington Museum, Huntington, West Virginia – Glass Sculpture
Ohio University Museum, Athens, Ohio – Wood cut
Musée des Arts Décoratifs de la Ville de Lausanne, Switzerland – Glass & Multi–Media sculpture
Listed In
Who’s Who in American Art
New Thinking in Design — Conversations on Theory and Practice, C.T. Mitchell, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996