Robert Kerr Cloyd attended Carnegie Mellon University and Syracuse University. The Robert K. Cloyd Papers consist of the design work created for productions of the Salisbury State Theatre from 1972 to 1979 under the direction of Leland Starnes, as well as other designs that Cloyd created in the 1970s. Included are the designs from when the United States Department of State invited him to exhibit in a show of young American artists travelling in China as part of the cultural exchange programs involved in Ping Pong Diplomacy.

Robert Kerr Cloyd received a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and an MFA from Syracuse University. His kinetic sculptures for the City of Pittsburgh Three Rivers Art Festival early in his career, circa 1971, were used as a back drop for a week’s program of NBC’s "The Today Show.” This drew the attention of the United States Department of State, which invited him to exhibit in a show of young American artists travelling in China as part of the cultural exchange programs involved in Ping Pong Diplomacy. This participation resulted in his election to the International Society of Fine Arts in 1970.

In 1972, Cloyd took a teaching position at Salisbury State College and joined director Leland Starnes as the designer for the Salisbury State Theatre. He designed sets, costumes, and props for the theatre’s many productions until Starnes’ sudden death in 1980. He also wrote and directed Pinocchio and the Fire Breathing Dragon in 1975.

Cloyd moved to the coast of Dunworley Bay, County Cork, Ireland and began to paint full-time and study under William Townsend in the 1980s. His portraits and landscapes are in numerous private collections across the country and abroad, and his works have been exhibited in multiple gallery shows for more than 25 years.

Early in his career, Cloyd designed for a number of repertory companies, summer stock productions, and numerous off-Broadway productions while teaching at Syracuse University. In addition to the Salisbury State Theatre, he worked with the Eastern Shore Opera Society, Community Players, and U.S. National Park Service. He also designed the original Wildfowl Museum at Salisbury State College for the Ward Foundation when it was located in Holloway Hall.

The Robert K. Cloyd Papers consist of the design work created for productions of the Salisbury State Theatre from 1972 to 1979 under the direction of Leland Starnes, as well as other designs that Cloyd created in the 1970s. These stage, prop, and costume designs exist in a number of mediums—pencil, oil, and watercolor—and on different mounts including paper and illustration board.

The Papers are arranged into 10 chronological series based on the arrangement of the Leland Starnes Papers:

Series 1: Threepenny Opera, circa 1971

Series 2: 1972 Productions

Series 3: 1973 Productions

Series 4: 1974 Productions

Series 5: 1975 Productions

Series 6: 1976 Productions

Series 7: 1977 Productions

Series 8: 1978 Productions

Series 9: 1979 Productions

Series 10: Other Productions, Undated