Richard Wayne Luboski (March 19,1934 – May 21,1983) was born in St Joseph. Born to be an artist he began his career at a very young age, submitting drawings and paintings to the St. Joseph News Press to the weekly arts corner. He attended the University of Kansas graduating in 1955, with a major in history and a minor in art. He attended graduate school at Columbia University in New York and the University of Kansas, studying German, art and literary history.
In 1957 he went to Germany to study art history and then to France to the Beaux-Arts. Most of his formal art training was in Paris studying under M.Henri Coutin and was quick to have an exhibition schedule of his paintings and sculpture in 1960, showing his paintings and sculpture in the United States, France, England, Spain and Austria. Luboski continued to exhibit frequently throughout his career in one man and group exhibitions in Europe and the United States. The materials he used were a very important part of his art and he was one of few American artists at the time exploring, with great success, the combining of casein, plaster, marble dust, polyester, plastic glues and powdered colors, modeling them with knives, spatulas, screwdrivers, boards or other objects. He would build up a heavy encrustation of uneven thickness and cut into that to create depth and form. He considered himself a material painter. He credits his inspiration for this style of painting to long walks took with his grandfather Akin along the bluff of “Devils Backbone” in St. Joseph. His grandmother Ida Akin recognized and supported his talent by encouraging him to take private art lessons beginning at age 6 at The St. Joseph Museum.
In 1969 he received a grant by the Douglas Dillion Foundation and the same year was named lecturer in contemporary art to several junior college programs in Paris. In 1971 he was recognized as one of the 7 most outstanding artists in Paris and in 1972 received the Tiffany Grant for his work in sculpture. He taught art history, drawing and sculpture in Paris and was visiting professor to the Chicago Art Institute in the spring semester of 1982.
Luboski was the author of a book, Milhoud, published in France in 1985. He also wrote several short stories.
He contributed extensively to the world of modern art through his art, teaching, writing and his world travels.
