Twenty four years after its founding, the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point will be closing its doors, but not before a celebration of the life and work of the gallery’s namesake.

Von Schlippe was born in Moscow in 1915, fled from the Russian Revolution to Finland in 1920 and started his painting career in Germany before moving to the United States in 1948. He taught painting and art history at Norwich Free Academy, where his wife also taught Russian, and later taught at various UConn campuses until 1982. He died in Munich, Germany in 1988.

Julia Pavone, director and curator of the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art and a painter herself, said von Schlippe was not only a well-known and beloved professor but also the first full-time professor at the Avery Point campus. He also taught in Waterbury and Storrs, but she said Avery Point was his favorite campus.

Pavone first encountered von Schlippe’s work in 1992 when colleagues wanted her to take a look at a few paintings they had found. They had all been packed into boxes, and David Madasci, professor emeritus of physics, suggested that he and Pavone open a gallery in the Branford House, which was owned by the university but not occupied.

“We stretched out all the paintings that we had end-to-end, and we counted that there were 500 of them,” she said. “We had called his family, who were in Germany, to ask if we could keep some of them to start this gallery.”

The family approved and agreed to give the paintings to the gallery on long-term loan, and the gallery took shape from a few cleaned-up rooms in the Branford House.

In addition to showcasing von Schlippe’s works, the gallery eventually expanded to feature regional, national and international artists.

Von Schlippe’s works range from realistic to abstract, and he was known for painting on a variety of surfaces including paper, wood and sometimes both sides of a piece of canvas, “anything he could get his hands on.” However, Pavone said most of his paintings feature similar colors, and von Schlippe mixed all his egg tempera paint by hand.

“His work really has a huge range. It’s interesting to see people’s reactions, like ‘He did that… and he did that?’” she said. “I would say that he has a very similar, in most of his paintings, color palette. It’s partly the tempera that does that, but there’s a lot of neutrals, not bolds, but then every once in a while we’d come across a painting that had bold colors suddenly.”

The exhibition, which started Jan. 15, is a retrospective of von Schlippe’s paintings from the 1960s and 1970s and features 50 framed pieces. Pavone said it will be a good opportunity for community members who knew him to see his work on display before they are returned to his family in Germany in August.

“Since the beginning, no one has seen all of his work that has been framed,” she said, adding that the gallery has always had his presence but his works are usually on only one or two walls at a given time.

A reception will be held at the end of the exhibition’s month-long run on Feb. 19. Von Schlippe’s grandson Matthew will be in attendance to represent the family. Pavone said Matthew and the family were frequent visitors to the gallery when he was a kid, and he is interested in learning about his grandfather, his paintings and his legacy.

“He has made it his mission to mount a show in Germany for the 100th birthday,” she said.

Pavone said the fine arts department in Storrs plans to keep the space at Branford Manor after the gallery closes at the end of July, but it is unclear what the space will be used for. She said she will be looking to continue working on her own paintings and mixed media works.

“For the Love of Alexey” is on display through Feb. 21. It is open to the public 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., Fridays, and 12 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. A special reception with the Bill Morrison Jazz Trio will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 19.

a.hutchinson@theday.com

Twitter: @ahutch411