Don Kunz

Don Kunz
Don Kunz in his painting studio in New York City, approximately 1972
Born1937 (1937)
Portland, Oregon
DiedAugust 24, 2001(2001-08-24) (aged 63–64)
New York, New York
OccupationsArtist, Professor of Painting, Professor of Calligraphy
Painting by Kunz

Don Kunz (1932 – 2001), is known for his work as a calligrapher, painter, and teacher. Kunz served the Cooper Union for 33 years. He was devoted to the education of artists, most notably in the areas of painting and calligraphy; he is remembered for creating a dialogue between the two disciplines. His work was described as canvases filled with rich color and texture. Robert Rindler, former Dean of The School of Art at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art describes Kunz's work as "a cacophony of color calligraphic gestures. It is the orchestra warming up in discord and evolving before your eyes into the most complex orchestral magic. They are eternally moving while frozen in time and place. All of Kunz's paintings require our participation in a dialogue."

Biography

Early life and education

A native of Portland, Oregon, Kunz studied calligraphy at Reed College with Lloyd Reynolds (1902–1978), an art teacher at Grant High School in Portland. Kunz trained at the Art Institute of Chicago and Portland's Museum Art School.

Career

During the 1950s, Kunz's paintings were shown at the Portland and Seattle Art Museums and at galleries in Portland. Kunz taught calligraphy at Queens College, New York and at The Cooper Union beginning in 1966. He was later granted tenure at the latter in 1993 where he continued to teach painting and calligraphy until his death in 2001.

Death and legacy

Kunz was a prolific artist who painted medium and large scale works on canvas as well as smaller works on paper and canvas. In 2008 in New York City, the Wilmer Jennings Gallery presented the exhibition Inspired by Actual Events: Exhibition in Tribute to Don Kunz, which was organized by Joseph Woolridge, curated by Gregory Coates, and included artwork by Marina Gutierrez, Lisa Hamilton, Glenis Holder, Ryan Oakes, Trevor Oakes, and Jasmin Ortiz.

Exhibits

Public collections

Bibliography

Group exhibition catalogues

Year Author Exhibition Publisher
1977 Joellen Bard, Dore Ashton, Bruno Palmer-Poroner, Lawrence Alloway, Therese Schwartz, Helen Thomas "Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 1950s; Camino artists at Amos Eno Gallery" Published by Education, Art & Service, Inc., New York, NY
1995 Robert Rindler The Cooper Union School of Art: Painting Faculty Exhibition Published by The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York
2000 Jerry Kelly and Alice Koeth Artist & Alphabet: 20th Century Calligraphy & Letter Art in America Published by David R. Godine, Boston in Association with The American Institute of Graphic Arts and The Society of Scribes, New York

See also

References/Notes and references

  1. ↑ Rindler, Robert (2008), www.agreatertown.com, Inspired by Actual Events - Exhibition in Tribute to Don Kunz - curated by Gregory Coates, A Greater Town
  2. ↑ Palladino, Robert (2008), www.reed.edu, https://www.reed.edu/calligraphy/palladino_interview.html, Reed College, Portland, OR
  3. ↑ Oregon Painters: the First Hundred Years (1859-1959), Ginny Allen and Jody Klevit. Oregon Historical Society Pr; First Ed edition (October 1, 1999)
  4. ↑ Oregon Painters: the First Hundred Years (1859-1959), Ginny Allen and Jody Klevit. Oregon Historical Society Pr; First Ed edition (October 1, 1999)

Sources