A tribute to Roy Chief Rose (1935-2024)
by Joe Paquet
With the passing of Roy Chief Rose, the plein air world lost one of its most ardent advocates.
He was a gentleman of the old school, a brilliant entrepreneur, art collector, and patron with a touch of visionary too.
I was fortunate to call him a friend.
Art was his passion and after initially investing in the early California Impressionists he decided to change his focus to the living artists. He encouraged many others to do so as well and many of us were the fortunate recipients.
In the very early years of the Plein Air movement, he and an amazing group of volunteers created the group SAPAP (Society for the Advancement of Plein Air Painting) and worked tirelessly with the Plein Air Painters of America to host a yearly exhibition on Catalina Island. In those early, lean years he purchased many paintings to help keep the show afloat.
In later years the show’s extraordinary success was largely due to his efforts and attention to detail.
He believed in doing things well and elegantly.
To those of us whose work he collected, I can fairly say he changed our lives.
In my own case, I can track an extraordinary series of events that stemmed from the first painting he purchased.
His quotes are memorable:
- “Never buy art for an investment; buy it because you love it and want to live with it.”
- “There is a vast difference between a collection and an accumulation.”
To the wider world, the ripple effect of his support and guidance to so many will be felt far into the future.
I personally will miss my friend and our talks about art and life while sipping a cocktail above Avalon Harbor.
I’m grateful our paths crossed.
Cheers to you Mr. Rose.
~Joe Paquet
Roy Rose was really a great guy in many ways. He was a real supporter of the Catalina Conservancy and did much to foster art and artists on Catalina. He did have a fabulous collection of early California art. He will be missed.