Millard Owen Sheets (June 24, 1907 – March 31, 1989) was an American painter and a representative of California Scene Painting, later a teacher and educational director, and architectural designer of more than 50 branch banks in Southern California.
In 1954 Millard Sheets was appointed Director of Otis College.
Under his leadership, the school's academic program was restructured so that BFA and MFA degrees were offered. He left Otis in 1962.
The Otis College Library was re-named in honor of Sheets in 1997.
Millard Sheets: One-Man Renaissance by
Examines the life and work of the eminent American artist, reveals his impact on the way people perceive their environment, and features reproductions of many of Sheets' works
Millard Sheets: The Early Years by
Published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same title held at the Pasadena Museum of California Art in 2010.
Banking on Beauty by
Winner, Docomomo US Modernism in America Citation of Merit, 2018 "I want buildings that will be exciting seventy-five years from now," financier Howard Ahmanson told visual artist Millard Sheets, offering him complete control of design, subject, decoration, and budget for his Home Savings and Loan branch offices. The partnership between Home Savings--for decades, the nation's largest savings and loan--and the Millard Sheets Studio produced more than 160 buildings in California, Texas, Florida, New York, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri over the course of a quarter century. Adorned with murals, mosaics, stained glass, and sculptures, the Home Savings (and Savings of America) branches displayed a celebratory vision of community history and community values that garnered widespread acclaim. Banking on Beauty presents the first history of this remarkable building program. Drawing extensively on archival materials, site visits, and oral history interviews, Adam Arenson tells a fascinating story of how the architecture and art were created, the politics of where the branches were built, and why the Sheets Studio switched from portraying universal family scenes to celebrating local history amid the dramatic cultural and political changes of the 1960s. Combining urban history, business history, and art and architectural history, Banking on Beauty reveals how these institutions shaped the corporate and cultural landscapes of Southern California, where many of the branches were located. Richly illustrated and beautifully written, Banking on Beauty builds a convincing case for preserving these outstanding examples of Midcentury Modern architecture, which currently face an uncertain future.
Otis College of Art and Design | 9045 Lincoln Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90045 | MyOtis
Millard Sheets Library | MyOtis | 310-665-6930 | Ask a Librarian