CIA mourns losses of key community members

By Michael C. Butz

From a faculty member who held a historic role to a widely exhibited and collected alum, and from a devoted member of the Board of Directors to a dedicated and prolific faculty member, the Cleveland Institute of Art lost several loved and respected members of its family in recent months: Moe Brooker, Fred Gutzeit, Joan Horvitz and David Schwartz.

Gutzeit, an Alumni Council member since 2020, majored in Painting at CIA and earned awards such as the Otto F. Egge Award for Scholastic Excellence; the Jack Johnson Memorial Award; and the Mary C. Page Traveling Scholarship. He used the latter to live and work in Mexico for 10 months rather than pursue an MFA at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. In 1963, he moved to New York City and established his practice in the Bowery in Lower Manhattan.

His work was widely exhibited, and throughout his career, earned him three Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants. His paintings are in the collections of the U.S. Library of Congress and the National Building Museum, both in Washington, D.C. Also, he held various teaching positions at the Pratt Institute, the Brooklyn Museum Art School and New York University, all in New York City.

“I remember visiting Fred’s studio not long ago on New York’s Bowery,” says CIA President + CEO Grafton Nunes. “He slept on a shelf that pulled out from under his racks of paintings. He lived, breathed, ate and drank his art. It was total commitment. I will miss his vision, passion and the excitement of his work.”

Horvitz joined CIA’s Board in 2002 and transitioned to the Advisory Board in 2005. She was generous to CIA with both her time and support.

She was an admired couture designer whose work was based in Cleveland. Her Joan Yellen Couture Designs can be viewed in the Kent State University Museum’s Gallery of Costume; the Western Reserve Historical Society’s Chisholm Halle Costume Wing; and Ursuline College’s Historical Costume Study Collection. Horvitz designed costumes and sets for dance and theater. At Cleveland Public Theatre, her stunning work was seen in Fefu and Her Friends, Between Life and Death, and most recently, Insomnia: The Waking of Her Selves.

“Joan loved CIA,” Nunes says. “Her service as a Director and an Advisory Board member was matched by her philanthropic support for our students and their work. I will miss her.”

Brooker was an influential and beloved faculty member from 1976 to 1985. He was the first Black faculty member to teach for CIA’s BFA program and played an important role in the development of many artists who walked the College’s halls.

His stature as an artist was equally significant. His exuberant, brilliantly colored abstract paintings are found in the collections of the African American Museum in Philadelphia; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia; Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Cleveland Museum of Art; and Studio Museum in Harlem in New York City. Among the many awards he earned for his work was the Cleveland Arts Prize in 1985.

Schwartz had taught Animation courses at CIA since 2017. Fellow faculty members and students alike considered him an amazingly talented member of the CIA family who was committed to sharing his knowledge and giving back. He loved his “CIA kids” and sought to prepare them as much as he could so they had the best chance possible for a career in animation.

He lived the life of a working artist, and along the way, inspired many generations. He was a brilliant storyboard artist for 30 years at all of the major studios in Los Angeles. His credits include Scooby-Doo, ALF, TaleSpin, Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Rugrats, Darkwing Duck, Aladdin, Kim Possible, X-Men, Johnny Bravo, 101 Dalmatians: The Series, My Little Pony, VeggieTales, Curious George, Tom & Jerry, Tarzan, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Doc McStuffins, Looney Tunes, Marvel and more.

“David and Moe were great teachers at CIA in addition to being masters of their art,” Nunes says. “They had profound impacts on their students, as evidenced by the love and appreciation from alumni and students upon hearing word of their passing.”