BEVERLY REYNOLDS

REYNOLDS--Beverly Ward. Beverly Reynolds, who was a devoted wife, loving mother, mischievous grandmother and the Founder and Director of the Reynolds Gallery in Richmond, VA, died on November 23 at her home. She was 68. Beverly was a driving force in creating a vibrant contemporary arts community in Richmond and lived a life of style, substance, and spirit. She was gifted, generous, tenacious, tough, curious, opinionated, tender- hearted, compassionate, creative and committed to making a difference and a contribution. She laughed easily and delighted in creating places and opportunities for family and friends to spend time together. Bev loved life and the people in it with her, especially her family. Beverly Lynn was born in Wilmington, DE to Dudley and Alice Ward, both natives of Canada, on July 13, 1946. She was raised in Chicago and Washington. After graduating from the University of Tennessee, the always-adventurous Bev headed to New York City where she met the charming David Reynolds. They were married on December 13, 1969 and were devoted to each other for forty-five years. While living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for eight years, Bev joined the docent program at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and soon met art dealer Jeanne Frank, who hired Bev to work in her gallery and who became a lifelong mentor. Bev founded Reynolds Gallery in Richmond in 1977. Early sales of works by Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, and Max Ernst gave her "the courage to dream that a gallery based on a New York model might work in Richmond." And it has. Today, the Reynolds Gallery is one of the most respected contemporary art galleries in the country. Bev was a visionary and tireless leader in the effort to create the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University, designed by Steven Holl and scheduled to open in 2016. The first floor gallery has been named in her honor. While living in Richmond, Beverly always had a second spiritual home in Manhattan. She traveled to New York several times a year for over thirty years, and loved the vibrancy, creativity and constant change of New York. She brought famous New York based artists to Richmond and brought Virginia based artist to world prominence in New York. She rejoiced in the crowded bustle of Madison Avenue and quite contemplation in the Metropolitan Museum, particularly during the holidays. Bev is survived by her husband, David, and her four children: Quentin and his wife, Sarah; Alec and his wife, Laura; Alice Livingston and her husband, Mac; and Margaret Jones and her husband, Will. She is predeceased by their first son, David. She was "Bevie" to her nine beautiful grandchildren (Caldwell, Quinn, Jackson, Pierce, Elliott, Griffin, William, Helen and Lillian), all of whom will carry on her spirit and joy for life. Bev adored her sister Dianne English and her husband, Roger, and her brother, Dr. John A. D. Ward and his wife, Pam. A memorial service will be held at 11am, Saturday, November 29, at St. James's Episcopal Church, 1205 W, Franklin St., Richmond, VA. The family requests gifts be made in memory of Bev to either the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU www.ica.vcu.edu or the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund www.ocrf.org in lieu of flowers.