Richard Alan Masters
{{Short description|Artist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Richard Alan Masters
| image = File:Richard A Masters.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|08|05}}
| birth_place = Sioux City, Iowa
| alma_mater = University of Iowa
| occupation = Artist
}}
Richard Alan Masters (born August 5, 1955) is a graphic designer, studio artist, and coin designer.
Academic career
Masters graduated from the University of Iowa art school where he received a BA, MA, and MFA.{{Cite web |title=Richard Masters - AIP Master Designer/artist at United States Mint |url=https://theorg.com/org/united-states-mint/org-chart/richard-masters |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=THE ORG |language=en}} He subsequently moved to Wisconsin where he worked as a freelance illustrator and as a professor of graphic design at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh where he was selected for the SNC Professor of International Relations Endowed Professorship Award.{{Cite web |last=Hain-Kararakis |first=Phaedon |date=2016-06-03 |title=Richard Masters, AIP Designer {{!}} U.S. Mint |url=https://www.usmint.gov/learn/artists/aip-richard-masters |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=United States Mint |language=en-US}}
Studio art career
Masters works most often in graphite or colored pencil, though he has worked in other media. His work is often described as painstakingly detailed, with subject matter ranging from nature scenes and architectural representations to the somber aspects of city life and homelessness. His works have been shown at invited and juried exhibitions throughout the world, and have won numerous awards,{{Cite web |last=Lam |first=Anna |date=2022-07-22 |title=Connecticut Pastel Society award |url=https://salmagundi.org/connecticut-pastel-society-award/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=Salmagundi Club |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=2007 Explore This! 4 Awards – Colored Pencil Society of America |url=https://cpsa.org/exhibitions/et-awards/2007-explore-this-4-awards/ |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=cpsa.org}} including the Allied Artists of American top award, the Audrey Love Memorial Award in 2021.{{Cite web |title=Annual Exhibition Medal Winners |url=https://www.alliedartistsofamerica.org/annual-exhibition-medal-winners |access-date=2024-09-04 |website=AAAMainCopy2020 Copy |language=en}}
Coin designs
File:2006-50-state-quarters-coin-nebraska-uncirculated-reverse.jpg
File:2007 Little Rock Central High School Dollar Obverse.jpg
In 2004, Masters became an inaugural member of the United States Mint's Artistic Infusion Program{{Cite web |last=See |first=Audralynn |date=2010-11-08 |title=Professor's design selected for Medal of Honor coin |url=https://www.uwosh.edu/today/6835/art-professors-design-selected-for-commemorative-coin/ |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=UW Oshkosh Today |language=en-US}} as a Master Designer.{{Cite web |title=Newman Numismatic Portal at Washington University in St. Louis {{!}} Comprehensive Research & Reference for U.S. Coinage |url=https://nnp.wustl.edu/Library/PersonDetail/1316 |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=nnp.wustl.edu}} This program brought artists with expertise in visual arts to enrich and elevate the design of coins for the US Mint.{{Cite web |last=Golino |first=Louis |title=U.S Mint Continues American Liberty Series |url=https://www.govmint.com/coin-authority/post/u.s-mint-continues-american-liberty-series |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=www.govmint.com |language=en}} He applied to the program as a lifelong coin collector.{{Cite news |last=Byrd |first=Briana |date=October 2, 2008 |title=More than coining a phrase: Richard Masters is making cents with his art degree and circulating UI lessons among future designers |url=https://dailyiowan.lib.uiowa.edu/DI/2008/di2008-10-02.pdf |work=Daily Iowan |pages=1}} A prolific designer, his designs were selected for over 30 coins and medals. As of 2024, he is still an active member of the program, and the only remaining original member.{{Cite web |last=Nyman |first=Shane |date=2020-08-07 |title=UWO professor emeritus artist plenty inspired by NYC—pandemic and all |url=https://www.uwosh.edu/today/86440/uwo-professor-emeritus-artist-plenty-inspired-by-nyc-pandemic-and-all/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=UW Oshkosh Today |language=en-US}}
His first design was the reverse of the Nebraska quarter for the State Quarters Program in 2006. His designs went on to garner awards such as the Coin of the Year award for best contemporary event in 2009 for his Little Rock Central High School Desegregation silver dollar design,{{Cite web |last=Giedroyc |first=Richard |date=2023-04-29 |title=Little Rock Dollar a Coin of the Year Winner |url=https://www.numismaticnews.net/us-coins/little-rock-dollar-a-coin-of-the-year-winner |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=Numismatic News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2009-03-10 |title=Prof's coin design wins international award |url=https://www.uwosh.edu/today/1755/profs-coin-design-wins-international-award/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=UW Oshkosh Today |language=en-US}} an accomplishment repeated with the 2021 American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin, winning the award for best gold coin.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-17 |title=Canada Dominates in COTY Category Wins |url=https://www.numismaticnews.net/world-coins/canada-dominates-in-coty-category-wins |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=Numismatic News |language=en}}
One of his designs,{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Allen |date=2020-01-12 |title=Samoan fruit bats will be featured on quarters released by the US Mint next month |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/12/us/fruit-bat-coin-trnd/index.html |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=CNN |language=en}} featuring a Samoa flying fox, a species of fruit bat, representing the National Park of American Samoa, was central to conspiracy theories that the United States government was involved in the dissemination of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |last=Grobaty |first=Tim |date=2020-04-26 |title=Quarantine Chronicles Day 42: A quarter for your conspiratorial thoughts |url=https://lbpost.com/news/commentary/quarantine-chronicles-day-42-a-quarter-for-your-conspiratorial-thoughts/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Long Beach Post News |language=en-US}} This theory was thoroughly debunked, but gave the coin design some short-lived infamy.{{Cite web |last=Fauzia |first=Chiara Vercellone and Miriam |title=Fact check: 2020 US quarter raises awareness of Samoan fruit bat, not linked to pandemic |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/04/14/fact-check-quarter-raises-awareness-fruit-bat-not-linked-covid/7145175002/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mikkelson |first=David |date=2020-04-23 |title=Do Bats on 2020 U.S. Quarters Show a Government COVID-19 Plot? |url=https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/covid-19-bat-quarters/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Snopes |language=en}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Design !Category !Notes |
| 2006
|State Quarters Program - Nebraska reverse |coin | |
| 2007
|Little Rock Central High School Desegregation silver dollar - obverse |coin |Winner of Coin of the Year Award |
| 2009
|Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Coin Program (Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky) - reverse |coin | |
| 2009
|District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Quarters Program - Northern Mariana Islands reverse |coin | |
| 2011
|Native American $1 Coin Program - reverse |coin | |
| 2011
|First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Program - Julia Grant reverse |coin and medal | |
| 2011
|United States Army Commemorative Coin Program – Silver obverse |coin | |
| 2011
|Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Program – Silver reverse |coin | |
| 2012
|Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin Program – Gold revers |coin | |
| 2013
|5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Program – Silver obverse |coin | |
| 2013
|First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Program – Helen Taft reverse |coin and medal | |
| 2008
|Code Talkers Recognition Congressional Medals Program – Comanche Nation obverse |medal | |
| 2010
|Professor Muhammad Yunus Congressional Gold Medal – reverse |medal | |
| 2014
|First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Program – Lou Hoover reverse |coin and medal | |
| 2015
|U.S. Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Program – Silver obverse |coin | |
| 2015
|First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Program – Mamie Eisenhower obverse |coin and medal | |
| 2015
|First Special Service Force Congressional Gold Medal |medal | |
| 2016
|Presidential $1 Coins – Ronald Reagan obverse |coin | |
| 2016
|First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal Program – Patricia Ryan “Pat” Nixon obverse and reverse |coin and medal | |
| 2017
|America the Beautiful Quarters Program – Effigy Mounds National Monument reverse |coin | |
| 2018
|America the Beautiful Quarters Program – Apostle Islands National Lakeshore reverse |coin | |
| 2019
|American Innovation $1 Coin Program – Pennsylvania reverse |coin | |
| 2019
|American Legion Commemorative Coin Program – Clad obverse and reverse |coin | |
| 2019
|American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin and Silver Medal – obverse |coin and medal | |
| |American Veterans Silver Medal – reverse
|medal | |
| 2020
|America the Beautiful Quarters Program – National Park of American Samoa reverse |coin | |
| 2020
|America the Beautiful Quarters Program – Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve reverse |coin | |
| 2020
|American Innovation $1 Coin Program – Connecticut reverse |coin | |
| 2021
|American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin and Silver Medal – reverse |coin and medal |Winner of Coin of the Year Award |
| 2021
|U.S. Armed Forces Silver Medals Program – Coast Guard obverse |medal | |
| 2019
|Katherine Johnson Hidden Figures Bronze Medal - reverse |medal | |
| 2019
|Dorothy Vaughan Hidden Figures Bronze Medal - reverse |medal | |
| 2020
|Merrill’s Marauders Congressional Gold Medal – reverse |medal | |
| |Presidential Medal Program – George W. Bush (Term 2) reverse
|medal | |
| |Presidential Medal Program – Barack Obama (Term 1) obverse
|medal | |
Personal life
Masters retired from teaching in 2015, and now lives in New York City with his wife, MeeWha Alana Lee.{{Cite web |last=Nyman |first=Shane |date=2020-08-07 |title=UWO professor emeritus artist plenty inspired by NYC—pandemic and all |url=https://www.uwosh.edu/today/86440/uwo-professor-emeritus-artist-plenty-inspired-by-nyc-pandemic-and-all/ |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=UW Oshkosh Today |language=en-US}} He continues to pursue studio art and exhibits his work broadly, garnering many honors for his works.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzfUte58uos |title=3 Americans Curator Talk: Richard Masters |date=2021-06-17 |last=Arnot Art Museum |access-date=2024-07-31 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite web |title=Richard Masters |url=https://galleryyonhee.wixsite.com/kccus/richard-masters |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=KCCUS |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=United Artists Professional League Eighty-eighth Grand National Exhibition |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/604e969622e44a51184e1394/t/6103131942e4dc167531ca11/1627591456708/2016-88gn_cat.pdf |access-date=July 31, 2024}}