In Memoriam - A Tribute to Arte Phillips - Feb. 13, 1959 - Nov. 12, 2008

On November 12, 2008, the dance community suffered a most terrible loss with the untimely passing of "The Master", Arte Phillips.

Always the ultimate showman, without his really trying to be, and with his constant flair for animation, style, and down to earth fun on the dance floor, Arte lately became one of my favorite subjects. Not only did he provide wonderful visuals during his normal course of dancing, but to my delight, when he saw my camera, he would "turn it on" just a little more for me. Since I have never had the opportunity to photograph Arte during a birthday dance or such, I have been taking shots of him whenever he is in attendance, in hopes of building a portfolio of images of him, and planning to surprise him with an album of his own sometime soon. Sadly, it will remain an unfinished work. Here, I have collected some of my more favorite images of Arte, in which I feel I captured that spirit within him, as well as the spirit he projected onto others. My wish is for all who view these images to remember the man, and if you were there, the moment, that the memory of Arte, as he was, may live for as long as we all.

If ever there was someone who seemed perpetually energenic, full of life, and who always had an uplifting word when he sensed you needed it, it was Arte. He will be deeply missed, but our loss is Heaven's gain, as I am sure he is already teaching the angels to dance. Rest in Peace Sir.

If any of these images bring to mind a favorite story, or moment, involving Arte, I encourage you to use the "Comment" button below each image, or the "Guestbook" link, to share your remembrances.