Roger Anliker Obituary

Roger William Anliker, age 89, of Elkins Park passed away after a brief illness at the Abramson Rehab Center on September 25, 2013. Born in Akron Ohio, Roger was the middle son of the late Emily and Carl Anliker and the brother of the late Frederick Anliker and the late James Anliker. At an early age, Roger distinguished himself as a talented and creative young man, winning numerous awards and prizes for outstanding artwork. He served as a mapmaker (when his artistic gifts were recognized), in WWII in the 16th armored Division. Roger studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he received upon Graduation in 1947, The Agnes Gund memorial scholarship for travel. He attended the American University in Biarritz after European service in WWII. Roger was later a two time recipient of the Guggenheim fellowship for coastal study in Europe. From 1948-63, He was associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Roger was a professor at Temple University's Tyler School of Art from 1963, until retiring in 1988 whereupon he received the Great teacher award from Temple. Roger Anliker was an encouraging albeit demanding teacher with an extraordinary knowledge of creative approaches and commitment to diverse methods and techniques. His influence on generations of students is remarkable, as a teacher and as a practicing fine artist. The legacy ignited by Roger's passions and commitment to excellence is long and deep. Roger has had numerous one man and group exhibition in this county and abroad including the Carnegie International Exhibitions, The Whitney Museum, the Chicago Art institute, The Pennsylvania Academy of fine Arts and Musee d' Art Moderns in Paris. He is represented in the permanent collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Butler Institute of American Art; The Akron Art Institute; The Carnegie Museum and Westmoreland County Museum. Our friend Roger will be greatly missed by those who were fortunate enough to know and study with him. A remarkable man of singular talent, boundless energy, extraordinary enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. A memorial service was held at 7:30 PM on Monday, September 30, 2013, Helweg & Rowland Funeral Home, 1059 Old York Road, Abington, PA. Interment was private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to ACJL- Abramson Home Care, Attn: donor services, 1425 Horsham Road, North Wales PA 19454. "All Colors made me happy; even gray, my eyes were such that literally they took photographs, whenever I'd permit." - Nabokov Arrangements were by Helweg & Rowland Funeral Home, Abington, PA (www.helwegrowlandfh.com)

Published by Montgomery Newspapers from Sep. 30 to Oct. 6, 2013.
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Memories and Condolences
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A perceptive and intelligent man who didn't compromise. A joy to converse with.

Mark Dettra

Friend

August 30, 2021

On this 6th anniversary of Prof. Anliker's passing, I want to send him warm feelings of gratitude in friendship for giving much more to his students than our tuition demanded of him. I hope to be fortunate enough to meet him again in the next world. Thank you Roger!

Keith Johns

Student

September 23, 2019

I graduated from Tyler in 1983 and I have to say that Roger Anliker has remained in my memory as a brilliant artist and one of my favorite teachers. He was a tremendously gifted teacher and I especially enjoyed his "still lifes" and the stories he told as we worked. They usually concluded with a moral, and were often humorous -- darkly humorous -- if I recall. I believe he inspired all of us with the sophistication and wit that he brought to his teaching/lecturing and the fantastical images he created from everyday objects. He will be missed and fondly remembered. Condolences to his family and close friends.

Caissa Douwes

September 30, 2014

I just today told another student of mine a story about my interaction with the masterful teaching of Roger. He continues to influence my thoughts and I hold the utmost respect for his dedication and great work. I was lucky to be his student from 1972- 1976. Condolences to his family. I was not in touch with him in recent years but will always think of him. Nancy Metz

Nancy Metz

April 10, 2014

This is a huge loss for the art world and art students. Professor Anliker, every day principles you taught us still come to mind. I am very grateful to have had you as an instructor. May God welcome you into His kingdom.

Monique Kendikian-Sarkessian

February 24, 2014

AS AN ART STUDENT AT TYLER SCHOOL OF ART IN ROME IN 1969 I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING MR. ANLIKER….HE WOULD DROP INTO OUR CLASSES AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND MESMERIZE ME WITH HIS THOUGHTS AND WORDS. UNBELIEVABLE….I THINK I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE ENTRANCED BY HIS MAGICAL DRAW….THEN WHEN I RETURNED TO PHILADELPHIA THE FOLLOWING YEAR I TOOK A CLASS OF HIS AND NEVER REGRETTED IT….HE GAVE ME CONFIDENCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT WHICH IS WHAT A YOUNG ART STUDENT NEEDS….AWESOME TEACHER….
THANK YOU ROGER…..YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED…..D.

Deborah Philipp

December 10, 2013

Dale Roberts and I share a deeply felt appreciation for the true gift of friendship with Roger Anliker: for his genius as a university professor, for his unbelievable talent as a painter, and for his true generosity and kindness as a human being.

I first met Roger Anliker as an sophomore at Tyler School of Art, Temple University's Art School, when I first took his painting class there in 1980. Immediately I fell under his spell. Mr. Anliker, as we all called him then, pulled us into his world of Art; introduced us to the essentials of color and composition; laid out the fundamentals of form; demonstrated the application of paint and archival technique; and moreover shared with us his enthusiasm for beauty and Art. He was everything a college professor should be--he made sure we knew the basics of the craft, and then inspired us to make beauty that would last. But he didn't stop there because his love of the subject was so profound that he made it contagious. Not only did he fulfill his commitments as a professor, but it was not uncommon for him to stand by his black board for hours after class with a few dedicated students eager to learn even more. In this way his was truly the old master with his disciples, and time stood still while we discussed Art and all the magical elements which comprised it. Both Dale and myself many times stood listening to Anliker until the wee hours of the morning, after a class which ended at four PM. Such was Anliker's love of teaching painting that time really meant nothing to him when his was waxing eloquently on Art. If he had actually charged by the hour for his time, the university would have had to treble his wages. And for a few lucky students like us, who didn't have somewhere else we had to be, we got far more than we had hoped for from Professor Anliker. Few of my other Tyler teachers equalled Mr. Anliker's depth of knowledge or dedication as a teacher, so needless to say, I took as many classes with Mr. Anliker as I could for the remainder of my time at Tyler--perhaps the smartest decision I made. He made my education there worthwhile all by himself.

But that is only half the story. Many a great teacher like Roger Anliker has left a life-long impression on his students, and been considered fantastically successful in their careers. But one needs only judge with his own eyes any of the works of Fine Art created by Mr. Anliker to know that here is an Artist of world-class status. His ingenious vision of the world, shared through his Paintings, is Magical, Mystical, Mysterious, and Marvelous. It is hard to believe that one man could be both an inspiring professor, and an Artist of such incredible talent. It is truly a double achievement. His works belong in major Art museums, and his stature as an Artist should grow and grow. It is just the way of Art that usually the greats are rarely fully appreciated during their lifetimes. I hope that his paintings will eventually be noticed by Art historians and his reputation raised to the highest level it so richly deserves.

Roger Anliker never called himself an "Artist," by the way. He considered that the definition of "Art" was "The BEST" and humbly considered it too presumptive to call oneself an "Artist" preferring history to decide that question. He said people would often ask him what he did and he would say, "I'm a Painter," when they would respond, "Oh, interior or exterior?" We all laughed at that. But I want to be the first to declare him, finally, an ARTIST--the very best of the best!

The third quality which really places Roger Anliker among the rarest of the truly blessed people among us, is the fact that he was so generous and friendly. The example of how long he would stay after class if he thought a couple students were interested to hear a little bit more says even more about his character as a person than his dedication to excellence in teaching which he had in spade-fulls. This allowed him to continue to give his knowledge and assistance to former students years after they no longer paid him any tuition fees. I had the good sense to try to keep in touch with him over the years with a phone call once in a while. I am only sorry now that I didn't do this even more. Dale certainly maintained his friendship and I think I can disclose that that friendship matured into deep mutual respect, and towards the end Dale had the opportunity to show his gratitude by doing a tremendous amount back for his mentor Roger. Theirs was a perfectly balanced relationship of gift and appreciative return; if only all human relationships could follow this loving example.

I wanted to add to the above my belief in the spiritual afterlife where I believe Roger is now regaining all his genius, after some years of mental decline, and returning to his loves of teaching and creating and sharing--in the next world. It is my wish to one day be able to stand again by his black board with him and hear him share his love of the beauty of Art until the early morning hours.

Thank you Roger. You forever have my love, my respect and my gratitude.

Keith C. Johns
September 29, 2013

Keith C. Johns

October 10, 2013

As a graduate assistant at Tyler in the late sixites, I was fortunate to work with Roger. To this day receiving the Roger Anliker Award for Drawing is one of my proudest achievements . I shall always remember him for his kindness and generosity .

Lewis Cisle

October 5, 2013

Roger Anliker was one of the best teachers I've ever had, in any subject. He didn't just teach art, he taught us about life. He gave everything he had to his students. The atmosphere in his classroom was always inspiring. He was there to teach, and he treated us as adults, not as fragile little eggs to be coddled. He was honest and sincere, and didn't waste our time playing to our egos or his. He was truly "counter-culture" in how he taught - he didn't worry about what people around him thought. He taught his students the way a caring father disciplines his children: he used his words skillfully to command our attention. He provoked us to question ourselves: how much had we been molded by the contemporary art world and society into creating art that was self-serving? Art was to be something far more than self-expression: it was eternal truths rendered with skill for the edification of the viewer. It demanded self-control, precision, and persistence. Yes, at times, he could be a little intimidating, but it made me try harder as a student. When Roger complimented your work, you knew that you had truly earned his respect, and that meant something.

Roger showed his dedication to teaching his students in the amount of his time spent outside of class. How many hours did he spend setting up his magnificent still-lifestage to inspire and teach us, and compilng his mysterious "file room" filled with samples of his own artistic experiments? (He often reminded me of Jeremy Brett's rendition of Sherlock Holmes.) How empty and barren were the dirty white walls of that room after he retired and it had been removed. If a student had a question about anything, he would selflessly give of his time (after class) to answer and demonstrate. These were precious times, because he would "lose himself" in details and storytelling, producing beautiful images with what ever he had on hand: chalk, pastel, a scrap of paper, charcoal dust on the table. Sometimes nearly an hour had gone by when he'd realize that he'd missed his lunch and had another class to run to. When it came time for our last critique of the semester, he'd spend an hour with you, with each student, and he would find something positive to say about everything you had struggled with.

He had a magnificent mind; being in his presence during his lectures was mind-expanding and elevating. He taught processes that aren't taught anymore, not because they are obsolete, but because many called teachers don't know or share these things anymore, and what they do know they hide like a hand of cards. He continually drew and painted in front of us, something else that very few teachers do. He demonstrated how an artist must be self-disciplined with his thoughts, skills, and time. He challenged his students' ways of thinking, and those who were willing to listen were awakened. He offered up to us a lifetime of his own experiences, and shared his own highs and lows with humor. He was like a aged monk that one goes to, to learn about life and oneself.

I will always remember and be grateful to God for Roger.
May his memory be eternal.

Kristen Winzer Chocheli

October 1, 2013

I am so grateful for the things I learned while studying under this master, but more importantly, I am grateful to have known him and been counted among his friends for many years. Rest in peace, Rekilna.

Gordon Dunlap

October 1, 2013

Mark Parker

October 1, 2013

I think of Professor Anliker every time I paint. Thank you Roger for sharing your wisdom, and for insisting that we put thought into all we do, to make the world a more fantastic place. Rest in Peace.

Christy Maurer

September 30, 2013

I will carry your words with me . You were an inspiration that will always be in my thoughts. Also one of the best Art Teachers at Tyler. I will miss you and thank You for being a huge part of my life.

Pat McGowan

September 28, 2013

Dear family please accept my condolences for your loss, may you all take comfort in God's words of hope. Romans15:4

A Am

September 27, 2013

Roger,
You taught me the most important thing I learned in college...change is the only constant. RIP Roger. I will carry you in my heart.

September 27, 2013

Knew Roger for many years when he taught at the Tyler School of Art in Elkins Park. I still have a few of the necklaces he made and gave away at Christmas from the Bead Collection left when his brother passed away. He was never at a loss for words, and I enjoyed hearing what he had to say. One of the things that was an aide to me in child rearing was the expression he often quoted "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

May his repose be peace.

Doris Izes

September 27, 2013

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