Iris Polos' Obituary
Iris Polos
Born on Valentine’s day in 1947, OAKLAND, CA artist Iris Polos passed on August 2nd peacefully at home in her art studio under hospice care. Surrounded by her deeply moving and beautiful art, she spent her last days surrounded by family and friends.
The daughter of renowned painter Theodore C. Polos, Iris came from a family of Greek artists. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from California College Arts and Crafts in Oakland in 1968, she went on to graduate with honors with a Master of Fine Arts from the same school in 1971.
In addition to her art career, Iris was an art educator at the university, high school, and elementary school level. She taught figure drawing at the American School of Art in Athens, Greece, summer 1969-1971; advanced drawing at the University of California Extension Open Exchange, in San Francisco, 1978-1979; she worked as the artist in residence at Chabot Elementary School in Oakland, California, 1986-1992; artist in residence at Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland, 1988-2006; art instructor at Oakland Children’s Hospital, MOCHA, 1995-2006; and art teacher at Arrowsmith Academy in Berkeley, CA 1993-2006.
A prominent talent among Vessel Gallery’s artist roster since 2013, Iris exhibited her political surrealist work. Always bold, courageous, and full of heart, her art never cowered in the face of injustice whether that be racism, homelessness, incarceration, or animals facing extinction. In her heart, moral compass, and place of observation she compelled us to join her fight against any inhumane ugliness in the world. Despite her often quiet demeanor, she possessed ample courage in allowing her art to address the political landscape of the day. Her work was recently added to the permanent collection at Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive where it resides alongside a body of her father’s artworks (artist Theodore Polos).
She is survived by her son Apollo Papafrangou; niece Caroline Langer Pendergast; partner Michael Brown; half-sister Janet Pallavicinci; cousins Theo Hart, Brooke Hart, AJ Hart, Jason Walter Field, John Polos, and Steve Polos; and host of beloved friends.
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