He was Professor of Art at Valparaiso University from 1958-1980 and Chair of the Department of Art from 1972-1980. He had guest professorships at Akademie Der Bildenden Kunst in Karlsruhe, Germany from 1961-1962; and Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda from 1969-1970. He was a past president of Christian Art Associates, a past Vice-President of the National institute for Contemporary Ecclesiastical Art, and past Chair of the Fine Arts Commission of the Lutheran Society for Worship, Music and Art, as well as being included in the Who's Who in American Education in 2002 and 2005.

In 1980, Richard and his wife Elizabeth picked up their family from Valparaiso, and moved to an old grange hall in a remote valley in the Cascade Mountains, full of costumes and mysterious old junk. Inspired by communities like Holden Village, Rich and Liz built the Grünewald Guild, a retreat environment where people could explore art and faith in the context of community, in a beautiful natural setting. They shared the executive director role until 2004. The legacy and work of the Grünewald Guild continues to this day.

Click here to learn more about the Guild.

As a visual artist, Caemmerer’s commissions in stained glass, sculpture, fresco, sgraftito, and tapestry appeared in approximately 600 churches throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Central America, Germany, Africa, and Yugoslavia, representing all denominations.  His paintings hang in museums and private collections in all 50 state as well as as well as Mexico, Canada, England, Germany, Japan and Africa. He mounted fifteen one-man shows and won numerous awards.

Richard R. Caemmerer, Jr. passed away peacefully on February 18th, 2016 surrounded by his family. His memorial, a grand celebration of the man, the artist, and the ‘Papa’ of his family, took place on February 26th at Grace Lutheran Church in Wenatchee,  Washington, complete with a procession of his art, brass and pipe organ fanfare, and a service of which he would have been proud.