NEWS RELEASE                      

For Immediate Release

 

Contact: 

 

Dr. Robert Martin, President 

505.424.2301, or [email protected] 

Eric Davis, Marketing & Communications Director

505.424.2351, or [email protected] 

 
Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
Benefactor Dr. Loren Lipson
Passes Away at 74
Founded the IAIA Loren G. Lipson Scholarship Fund

 
 
Dr. Loren Lipson
   
 
     
Santa Fe: October 4, 2018.

IAIA is sad to announce the passing of a member of our family.   Dr. Loren G. Lipson passed away peacefully at his home in South Pasadena, California on September 27, 2018. Loren received his Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry, Summa Cum Laude, from  University of California, Los Angeles , in 1965, his MD from Johns Hopkins Medical School, in 1971, followed by two years of research at the National Institutes of Health where he specialized in the field of endocrinology. In 1975, the National Institutes of Health honored Loren with a National Service Award in recognition of his work in diabetes. After further serving as a research fellow and teacher at Harvard Medical School, Loren returned home to teach at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, where he was Chief of Geriatric Medicine until his retirement in 2006. Loren continued to teach at the University of Alaska and Claremont Graduate University. He had an abiding interest in the care of the elderly, and was instrumental in drafting regulations for nursing homes adopted by a number of states. Loren was a highly respected forensic witness specializing in the standards for nursing homes and assisted care facilities, testifying throughout the country. The United States Department of Justice and the California Attorney General's office would seek out Loren's advice, and respected Loren for the depth of his knowledge and for the integrity of his professional opinions. 

Loren cared deeply for the plight of the disadvantaged including the Japanese Americans interned during  WWII , the Alaskan natives who lacked medical care, the prejudice directed towards Mexican Americans, and the plight of Native Americans living in poverty on reservations. In the last decade of his life, Loren's mission was to purchase American Indian art, from collectable antique pottery to the art of living master ceramicists, and to donate the pieces to museums, so that the public at large would be aware of the great talent of the artists and the beauty of their creations. Along the way, Loren acquired an interest in a number of contemporary artists to whom he was also a generous benefactor. A true patron of the arts, Lipson had donated over a thousand pieces of art which are now on display in over forty museums. 

In 2017, IAIA established the Loren G. Lipson Scholarship Fund to award aid to students with financial needs. Judith Pepper (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma), Director of Institutional Advancement at IAIA, commented, "Dr. Lipson had been a friend and donor to the Institute of American Indian Arts for the past two decades. In establishing the Loren G. Lipson Scholarship, he shared his passion to personally impact students' lives by investing his time and money not in 'what is', but 'what can be' for our students, by aiding them in achieving the dream of a college education. Loren was a positive influencer who operated with his heart and cared deeply about enhancing contemporary Native Art and Artists.  We will miss his outrageous personality and laughter."

Patsy Phillips (Cherokee), Director of the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, observed:  "It's a sad day for the art world. Loren was such a great supporter of contemporary Native Arts. He would buy directly from artists and donate their work to major art museums like the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, the Whitney, the Autry, and others. He will be deeply missed by many."

IAIA President, Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee), remarked "I am so sorry to learn the sad news regarding the passing of Dr. Lipson. Indeed, he will be missed. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met him and for his support of Native artists and students."

Loren is survived by three sons, Keith A. Lipson, Kyle A. Lipson, and Kurt A. Lipson; and his sister Kiki L. Schlosberg. A memorial service will be held for Loren at the Autry Museum of the American West on October 15, 2018, at 11:00 am. 

Donations to Loren's memory may be made to the Loren G. Lipson Scholarship Fund at the Institute of American Indian Arts at  www.iaia.edu/philanthropy  -- or mailed to: IAIA Office of Institutional Advancement, 83 Avan Nu Po Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508.
 
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Offering undergraduate degrees in Studio Arts, Creative Writing, Cinematic Arts and Technology, Indigenous Liberal Studies, and Museum Studies -- a minor in Performing Arts -- an MFA in Creative Writing -- along with certificates in Business and Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, and Native American Art History -- IAIA is the only college in the nation dedicated to the study of contemporary Native arts. The school serves 517 full time equivalent (FTE) Native and non-Native American college students from across the globe.  IAIA is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission -- and is the only college in New Mexico accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. 
About IAIA -- For over 50 years, the Institute of American Indian Arts has played a key role in the direction and shape of Native expression. With an internationally acclaimed college, museum, and tribal support resource through our Land Grant Programs, IAIA is dedicated to the study and advancement of Native arts and cultures -- and committed to student achievement and the preservation and progress of their communities.  Learn more about IAIA and our mission at   www.iaia.edu.

The Institute of American Indian Arts Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.  To make a donation on-line, please click here -- or call toll free: 1.800.804.6423.