As shared at the March 28th Board meeting, Laney mourns the passing of one of its long-time Art faculty members, Leon Dockery. Born in rural North Carolina, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (B.F.A.) from The San Francisco Art Institute. In 1991, Dockery was awarded a scholarship to Stanford University, earning an M.F.A. Professor Dockery’s career in the classroom included full-time posts at The University of Rochester and California College of the Arts, as well as part-time teaching positions at USC, the SF Art Institute, and Merritt & Laney Colleges. During classes of Sculpture and African American Art History, students learned from an educator who was passionate about both his work and his students. When the Fab Lab came on campus, Professor Dockery immediately saw its application for artists, and many may remember the giant horse-sized house fly sculpture that was displayed in the Tower Lobby in 2018, made by his sculpture students using Fablab tools. Dockery’s passing was in the loving presence of family on March 21, 2023, and all at Laney and legacy of this educator.
This article was included in the Laney College April 12, 2023 President's Report. To view the full report, click here.