Lowell was a very talented and successful graphic artist and art teacher at many places (e.g., Yale School of Art; University of Connecticut, Storrs, Chicago Art Institute). He received a MFA from the Yale School of Art in 1973. His love of the arts including music, the visual arts, movies, theater, and literature was deep and broad. His knowledge of art history was also impressive. He loved traveling to large cities such as New York whenever possible and made sure that he visited as many art galleries and museums as possible. (Submitted by Ellice Forman)
Ellice explains, “Lowell's first name was Myron but he never used this name at Oberlin. His brother posted an obit in the Oberlin Alumni magazine under the wrong graduation year (1968) and under the name Myron L. Peyton.” The following obituary, however, comes from his birthplace of Wooster, Ohio.
https://www.the-daily-record.com/article/20150408/OBITUARIES/304089323
Roberta Leinwand (Opper)
Lowell was a gentle and kind person. His interest and knowledge of art was extensive. I remember during the summer after freshman year we both happened to be vacationing on Cape Cod at the same time. We spent a lovely day together. I had not been in touch with him since graduation but I was so saddened to learn that he had died.
Ellice Forman
Thanks for your kind comment Roberta. I didn't know that both of you were on Cape Cod that summer but Lowell was working as a sous-chef at the time. He told me about that experience many times.
Ronald Rapoport
Lowell was one of the most delightful people I met at Oberlin. I always found him great fun to be with, and someone with a quirky perspective on things, which I very much appreciated.
I spent a simply wonderful summer rooming with Lowell in this rooming house attached to an Episcopal Church on Gramercy Park. The location was spectacular, but the room looked out on the steeple with almost no visible sky, no kitchen and a shared bathroom Basically s smaller version of Barrows Hall without the view. Nonetheless, we had a great summer. Lowell took me, who knew virtually nothing about modern art and little about any period, to every museum in New York, and he patiently introduced me to the world of art. One of the things I remember best was our attendance at the MOMA's Greta Garbo retrospective whose movies we had never seen, but quickly fell in love with.
The Underground Gourmet by Milton Glaser and Jerome Snyder had just come out (interesting restaurants with dinners for $2.00 and under) and since we had no way of cooking, we hit many of them. I do remember Lowell, being concerned about theft, wore a money belt I felt bad that we lost touch, but he is someone about whom I always think with great fondness whenever I am in an art museum.
Ellice Forman
Thanks for your lovely memories about Lowell, Ron. He had an endless supply of energy for visiting art museums and galleries and a wealth of information about each artist. I'm glad that you had time and space to learn about art from him. And he also loved old movies--especially black and white movies from the 1940s.
Kathleen Mooney (Parrish)
Lowell was a dear friend, both at Oberlin (and in NYC in the summer of '68) and in the years after graduation. His knowledge of art and artists was extensive; he also was very knowledgeable about music and the culinary arts. He had a great sense of humor. Lowell's own paintings were sometimes darkly Abstract Expressionist, but some were bright and Matisse-like. I imagine that reflects the range of his deeply felt emotions. I loved hearing his stories about Rome, and other travels. Reminiscing about our past adventures often lead to joyous laughter. Lowell had a nice relationship with my parents, who admired him and thoroughly enjoyed having him and Ellice come their house for Thanksgiving Dinner when we were all in the Boston area. I miss Lowell and think of him with fondness.
Ellice Forman
Thanks for your kind and insightful comments Kathe about Lowell. Actually, we also celebrated Thanksgiving dinner at your parents' home even when you couldn't attend. Your parents were a great support network for us in Boston. And my brother Jeff also attended a Thanksgiving dinner with them and us when he was visiting us. Jeff will never forget the huge array of food at that dinner.