O.V. Shaffer

O.V. Shaffer was an art professor at Beloit University and the Wright Museum of Art’s first full-time director from 1955–64. Best known for his large-scale public sculptures of steel and brass, he spent most of his career as an independent artist. In addition to his outdoor works of art, he created hundreds of smaller pieces for private collections. Shaffer was mentored by Beloit University’s artist-in-residence and art professor Franklin Boggs, who inspired him to think expansively about materials. After graduating from Beloit, Shaffer taught briefly at Olivet College (Michigan) and earned a MA from Michigan State University.

In 2014, the Beloit Art Center held a retrospective on Shaffer’s work that included a fourteen-city road trip to view his public art across Wisconsin. That year, he received a certificate of recognition from then-Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker for having produced the most public art in the state. Shaffer received many accolades over his lifetime, including the Distinguished Service Citation from Beloit, the highest honor given by the Beloit College Alumni Association.

Most of Shaffer’s public art is located in Wisconsin, with more than two dozen sculptures in the city of Beloit and sixty pieces throughout the state. He also had major commissions in Maine, Florida, Utah, and Illinois.