Special Collections Research Center Gifted Warren Kimble Collection
Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) was recently gifted the personal papers of notable artist and Syracuse University alum Warren Kimble ’57. The collection includes original sketches, personal correspondence, exhibition materials, product catalogs, press clippings, photographs and other unique materials that trace Kimble’s artistic evolution and entrepreneurial journey.
Kimble, who turned 90 in 2025, began his artistic training at Syracuse University, where he studied fine art in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Under the guidance of accomplished faculty, he developed strong foundational skills and experimented with new techniques and mediums, laying the groundwork for his long and varied career. As an undergraduate, Kimble was deeply engaged in campus life – serving as president of both his junior and senior classes, joining Lambda Chi Alpha and leading the cheerleading squad during the golden era of SU athletics when Jim Brown helped propel the team to the 1957 Cotton Bowl. Beyond his student leadership roles, Kimble immersed himself in the University’s vibrant artistic community.
Following graduation, Kimble taught art for many years before settling in Vermont in the early 1970s. At age 50, he was “discovered” while selling his folk-inspired art at a local gallery in Woodstock, VT, which launched his national career. At the height of his success, Kimble partnered with more than 50 companies to produce home décor and household goods featuring his artwork. Today, Kimble maintains an active studio and gallery where he continues to paint, create new works and engage with the arts community. He currently lives in Brandon, VT, with his wife Lorraine, whom he credits as a significant partner in the success of his business and career.
Kimble’s artistic journey has taken him from the traditional to the contemporary, with recurring motifs such as weathered barns, farm animals and New England landscapes –often inspired by his rural surroundings in Vermont. With formats ranging from paintings to assemblages and sculptural works, his work has appeared in reputable galleries in New York and Boston and across New England, as well as in homes across the world via prints, ceramics, furniture, wallpaper and more. The newly donated collection documents the transition of his work from sketches to mass production, and from small gallery showings to national commercial fame.
Kimble says his decision to donate his papers to Syracuse University Libraries was easy. Drawn to Syracuse University in 1953 without even taking an entrance exam, Kimble still speaks of the University’s early support with gratitude. “They took a chance,” he says. “Syracuse gave me everything: direction, mentors and a belief in what I could become. I owe so much to this place, and I am forever grateful. This is my way of giving back and inspiring future artists and creative entrepreneurs.”
“We are honored and delighted to receive Warren Kimble’s papers,” says David Seaman, Dean of Syracuse University Libraries and University Librarian. “Beyond Warren’s affection for Syracuse, he has been a good friend to the Libraries. We were fortunate to capture his story in his own words through SCRC’s Access Audio production of “At Home with Warren Kimble.” He created an original owl painting for Bird Library that we used in our holiday card. He has even welcomed our Libraries team to his home and studio in Brandon, VT. He is a beloved friend of the Libraries, and we are grateful for his generous gift.”
As an undergraduate at SU, Kimble was inducted into Orange Key, a Junior Men’s honorary, and Tau Theta Upsilon, a Senior Men’s Honorary. Throughout his life, Kimble has remained one of Syracuse University’s most enthusiastic and engaged alumni. The University awarded him the George Arents Pioneer Medal, the highest alumni honor, in 2002 and the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award in 2017. The archival donation, Kimble notes, is a homecoming of sorts. “These are the stories behind the work, the trial and error, the joy, the doubts, the breakthroughs. It is my whole journey. And I am thrilled that it will live on at the university that believed in me first.”