Bob Smith (1930-2020) Sketch of the Claremont Depot

Bob Smith (1930-2020) Sketch of the Claremont Depot - Ink on paper, pencil signed.

Bob Smith, 1930 – 2020, born in Los Angeles, made his mark on the Pomona Valley in many ways—as an illustrator, a teacher, and an author. He served in the military for two years beginning in 1950, and after leaving the service married Gwen Shockley in 1952. 

Smith then enrolled in Pomona College,  graduating in 1956, followed by studies at the Claremont Graduate School. Like Andrée Mahoney and Martha Underwood, he was hired by Chaffey College, where he taught both studio art and art history for forty years, until his retirement in 1996. At Chaffey he expanded course offerings and developed programs in film history, history of photography, and history of broadcasting. He also developed academic programs in television production, film making, and photography. For his efforts he was voted “Faculty Speaker of the Year” in 1985. He filmed documentaries on such diverse subjects as Andy Warhol, the Alta Loma-Claremont flood, and Sam Maloof. He also continued to paint. He had solo shows at a number of regional venues, including the libraries in San Bernardino, Upland, Pomona, and Rancho Cucamonga, and the Riverside Art Museum, as well as the CCMA.  

Smith began sketching Alta Loma landmarks in the late 1970s and produced calendars with these drawings. This led to a series of architectural renderings of buildings for the campuses of the Webb Schools, the Claremont Graduate University, and Cal Poly Pomona, as well as the cities of Pomona and Claremont. His talents are fully on display at the Claremont Heritage Gift Center in Memorial Park, where his drawings have been reproduced on mugs, magnets, and other souvenirs.  

Smith published an illustrated book on local history, Redefining the Inland Valley. It was released in two editions more than a decade apart, in 1999 and 2011, reflecting the changes in the region. The book contains driving tours, a reading list, and a dictionary of places, people, and events of interest. He also created a coloring book, The Seven Lost Ranchos of Our Inland Valley. In 2009 he and Andrée Mahoney were featured artists in the Chaffey Professors Show.

• Name : Dwight Mitchell