Interview
Watercolor Artist John Salminen: Art & Advice
Vesta Kirby (1936-2016)
Vesta Ann Kirby, age 80, long time resident of San Francisco, passed away on November 14th, 2016. She was born on January 28th, 1936 in Hillsdale, Michigan to Roscoe and Pauline Kirby. Vesta Kirby grew up in Michigan and Ohio. She began her studies in Fine Arts at Ohio State University and completed her BFA at The New School, Parsons School of Design, New York City. During her employment at Skidmore Owings & Merrill Architects, Vesta became primarily responsible for the color and designing of corporate interiors. She lived, worked, and painted in Europe: including, Paris, Bern, and various locations in Greece. She traveled to study the art, culture, and architecture in the Middle East, India, and the Far East. In Japan, she studied sumi'e ink painting and calligraphy brush painting with Japanese Masters in Kyoto. In 1970, Vesta chose to make San Francisco her home, where she continued to paint, design interiors, and teach art. After considerable traveling and working with other architectural firms, she completed her MFA at John F. Kennedy University, Arts & Consciousness in Studio Arts, Berkeley, CA. She was later invited to participate in the Djerassi Resident Artists Program for one month where she exhibited her completed paintings.
Vesta was preceded in death by her father, Roscoe Ives Kirby; mother, Pauline Ida Aiello; step-father, Albert Aiello; brother, William Mills Kirby; brother-in-law, Cornel Mentler Jr.; and niece, Vesta Elizabeth Mentler.
Vesta is survived by her sisters, Susan Elizabeth Pullman and Paulette Edyth Walters; brothers-in-law, Howard Wayne Pullman and Robert Dennis Walters; sister-in-law, Carol Kirby; nephews, Erik Ross Pullman, Brian Keith Pullman, Cornel Mentler III, and Ethan Patrick Pullman; and nieces, Teresa Ann Kirby and Karen Mae Story.
Family requests that donations be made to Next Village San Francisco (www.nextvillagesf.org/next-village-documentary/) or Friends of the Sharon Art Studio (www.sharonartstudio.org).
Memorial arrangements to be announced at a later date.