JIMILU "Mimi" MASON

1930 - 2019

JIMILU MASON  1930-2019  
JIMILU Mason, a well-known local sculptor passed away on May 27, 2019 at the Seasons Retirement Community in Cincinnati, Ohio. JIMILU, the name on her art, or "Mimi" as she was affectionately called by family members and close friends was born in Las Cruces, NM. She lived, worked, and ran a small framing shop in Alexandria, VA. An early talent for drawing and modeling objects in clay led her to study art at George Washington University (GW) where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree 1953. In 1971 GW honored her with the Outstanding Alumnus Award. JIMILU's career as a sculptor was launched when her bust of Chief Justice Frederick M. Vinson was selected as the official one. President Lyndon Johnson admired it and invited her to the White House to begin work on his bust, which is currently on display in the LBJ Library in Austin, TX. Johnson appointed JIMILU to serve on the National Council on the Arts (1966-1972). There she became a close friend of Roger L. Stevens, founding Chairman of both the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (1961) and the National Endowment for the Arts (1965). JIMILU's bust of Mr. Stevens is in the entrance hall of the Kennedy Center. Jimilu's models first worked in clay were later cast in bronze and chiseled in the beautiful Carrara marble so loved by Michelangelo and Henry Moore. Admirers commented on their striking likeness to her subjects. Her works include busts of Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey; Constantino Brumidi, who painted the Apotheosis of Washington in the eye of the Capitol Rotunda; Audie Murphy, a decorated American World War II veteran; Edwin C. Johnson, a former governor and U.S. Senator of Colorado; Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn; and many others. Her last project was The Memorial to 9/11.JIMILU leaves behind a beloved sister, Bianca Mason Beary and her husband, Dr. John F. Beary of Cincinnati, OH and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. JIMILU loved animals, especially her three dachshunds. A service is planned for a later date. Donations in her memory can be made to the Animal Welfare Institute, 900 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003; awi@awionline.org TEL: 202: 337-2332.