Robert C. Moore was born in Philadelphia in 1921 and remained a lifelong resident of the area. He was also a lifelong artist, apprenticing under the noted painter Samuel J. Brown in his youth. After World War II, Robert attended the Philadelphia College of Art under the GI Bill and later received an MFA from Temple University. He pursued postgraduate studies for many years through various grants and fellowships, including the John Hay Fellowship at the University of Chicago and programs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

 

Although Robert’s artistic career led him to exhibit throughout the United States, his work in education was rooted in the Wilmington, Delaware area, where he held teaching and administrative positions. His retirement in 1986 enlivened new opportunities for him. He spent several years as a graphic artist before turning his attention to creating art exploring themes of cultural and historical significance in recognition of the African Episcopal Church of Saint Thomas in Philadelphia, his spiritual home. He designed a stained-glass window honoring church founder Absalom Jones and installed a series of six murals in the St. Thomas Great Hall depicting the church’s heritage.

 

During the period before his death in December of 2006, Robert compiled a book chronicling the creation of the Heritage Murals. The completed edition will be published later this year.