Mr. Emile H. Mathis II

Mr. Emile H. Mathis II was an accomplished art dealer, appraiser, conservationist, and framer. His love for art began in a high school class in his hometown of Superior, WI, where his teacher would declare certain class times “art history days”. His art experiences grew while he earned a fine arts degree from UW-Superior, during which time he began his collection of art beginning with etchings and prints. He graduated from UW-Superior in 1968. While he was at the Bauhaus School in Germany, Mr. Mathis studied under professors that gave him incredible insights into color and design. He worked for an art dealer based in Great Britain for a time, and then moved to Racine, WI to begin his own business with his own art collection as the starting inventory.

Those were just a few early examples of the many influences and educational opportunities that led Mr. Mathis into his career. Through the years, he worked with museums, including Racine’s Wustum Museum of Fine Arts and the Milwaukee Art Museum, to frame artwork and curate. He also performed appraisal and framing work for corporations and individual clients. Mr. Mathis took clients from all over, with over 40% of his clients from New York, Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, and Chicago’s North Shore. His specialty was in prints, particularly those by Sir Francis Seymour Haden, and his knowledge reached into African art and other areas.

Mr Mathis was deeply involved with UW-Superior. He was UW-Superior Foundation Board Member from 2006 into 2012. During this time he established two scholarships under his and his brother, Ronald’s, name in support of incoming freshmen that desire to study the visual arts. He also supported scholarship opportunities and art galleries throughout Wisconsin. Before he passed away, he established an art gallery in his name at UW-Milwaukee, and donated his art collection to it for all to freely see and study. Mr. Mathis passed away in July of 2012.