River, 2022

Donald Munson  

Artist Statement:

Donald E. Munson 
Bibliography / reviews
Born in New York, his professional Certificate for Design and a BFA are from
Parsons School of Design/New school. Graduate Studies via CBS School Management 
in Business, Finance, Production and Human Resources 
Teaching: Parsons School of Design, NY - Advertising, Promotion and Design. 
Pratt University, NY - Illustration and Promotion. CUNY, Brooklyn & Bronx, NY - Design, Art History and Illustration. Westfield State University, MA - Art Survey I & II, Art Foundation, Graphic Design I & II, Typography with lectures on Drawing and Painting.
Exhibited fourteen solo shows and over thirty group shows.
Works in multiple museums including the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

“...open the gates of imagination... (D.M.) has a sophisticated Élan…" Vito Cioffero
“Donald Munson is a poet singing the joy of nature, using color and line to produce a poem in visual terms. He has a personal style of great distinction. ...to evolve from sensitive line. … into work one finds a combination of love and understanding of both nature and form." Eva Gatling, Ex. Officio, The Heckscher Museum
“(Don)...balances geometric and biomorphic elements to create exquisite formal tensions in his paintings of flowing forms..." Claude LeSuer, Art Speak, Soho, N. Y. 
“Munson has been called a master of multiple visual mediums. ...a story filled with color. Adding to that sensation is his use of impasto ... and the fact he does not mix paints, but rather applies each pure color separately, allowing them to 'mix' visually." Christine White - The Republican
“ 'Haiku' …these minimalist abstract paintings consist of lines, 
shapes and pure bold colors that pop… yet, they have a serene feeling." 
Christine White - The Republican
“His work assimilates, then transcends, to illuminate abstracted essential truths with a masterful visual language built on line and color" 
Douglas P. Clement - Take Magazine
“Munson(s) ... work, offers rich-toned structural elements, distantly evoking?Richard Diebenkorn's Ocean Park series, an otherworldly figural metamorphosis of the organicism of Matisse's cutouts." Susan Boulanger, Art New England 
VIMEO
Video - Donald E. Munson, Artist
Web Site

Education:

BFA Parsos / New School

Awards & Distinctions:

Who' Who in America 2020

Exhibitions:

Donald E. Munson
20 Wenonah Place Longmeadow, MA 01106 / 413.519.3170 / [email protected] / redstairstudio
Exhibition History
Public collections
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY - Heckscher Museum, Huntington, NY
Hopkins Art Center at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH - Western New England College, Springfield, MA University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA - Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration, NY
Solo exhibitions
Betty Ann Low Meeeting Room, Storrs Library / Barns & Buildings, Longmeadow, MA 2022 Silver Circle Gallery / Haiku and Paintings / Putnam, CT 2018
The Wood Museum / Memories - Architecture & Barns / S. Windsor, CT 2015-2016 Longmeadow Cultural Council / Evolution / Don Munson - Fifty Years of Painting , MA 2015 Silver Circle Gallery / Panels / Putnam, CT 2013
Western New England College / Color, Circles & Squares / Springfield, MA 2005
Western New England College / Barns & Buildings / Springfield, MA 2004
Charter Oak Cultural Center / Architecture & Alphabets / Hartford, CT 2003
Langone Gallery of Fine Art / American Southwest / Scarsdale, NY 1996 and 1997
Grace Gallery / Icons & Illustrations / CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 1995
Society of Illustrators / Brownstones / New York, NY 1990
Graham Gallery / Moss & Cisterns / New York, NY 1972
Heckscher Museum / Abstract Landscapes / Huntington, NY 1971
Graham Gallery / Conte Works New York, NY 1970
Group exhibits
West Branch Gallery Small Works, - The 'Numbers' Series, VT '20
Silver Circle Gallery Small Works, CT '16 - A3 Juried Show, MA '15
Emilee's Art Dream, Arno Gallery, MA '14 - Transformation is Timeless, Arno Gallery, MA '14
Literary Favorites Re-imagined, WSU Galley, MA '13 - The Faculty Show, Arno Gallery, MA '13
Once Upon a Time, WSU Gallery, MA '12 - Landscapes, Silver Circle Gallery, CT '12
Leaves & Flowers, Red Stair Galley, MA '10 - Small Works, Red Stair Gallery, MA '09
Calming the Summer Storm, Belcourt Castle, RI '09 - Mayfair Festival of The Arts, PA '01
Hard Soft Edges, Agora Gallery, NY '97 - The Faculty Show, CUNY, Grace Gallery, NY '96 - 98
The Spirit Speaks, West End Collegiate, NY '96 - Our Own Show, Society of Illustrators, NY '91
Private Collection: Eva Gatling, Parish Art Museum, NY '74 - Windows & Doors, Heckscher Museum, NY '72 Seven Years of Collecting, Heckscher Museum, NY'71 - Artists of Suffolk County, Heckscher Museum, NY '71 The Huntington Group, NY '71 - Contemporary Romantics, Graham Gallery, NY '70
The Big Drawing, Graham Gallery, NY '69 - Art on Paper, Weatherspoon Gallery, NC '69
CLIENTS / SPECIAL COMMISSIONS / SELECTED PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Clients: Random House / Readers Digest / Money / Doubleday / New York Times / Lever Brothers American Bank Note / William Morrow / Prentice Hall / John Wiley / Pacific Bell
Special Commissions: Robert Wiegand's Wall Painting, Multi Media, Lever House
Over Here, the Broadway Play, Set Paintings / Reflected Pine, MoMA Jr. Council
Selected Private Collections: Eva Gatling / Joerg & Sabine Lichtenberg / Alfred Van Loen /
David Carson / Lester & Judy Lynn DelRey / Joe Treacy / The Collegiate Church
“Munson(s) ... work, offers rich-toned structural elements, distantly evoking
Richard Diebenkorn's Ocean Park series, an otherworldly figural metamorphosis of the organicism of Matisse's cutouts." Susan Boulanger, Art New England

Professional/Teaching Experience:

Teaching: Parsons School of Design, NY - Advertising, Promotion and Design. 
Pratt University, NY - Illustration and Promotion. CUNY, Brooklyn & Bronx, NY - Design, Art History and Illustration. Westfield State University, MA - Art Survey I & II, Art Foundation, Graphic Design I & II, Typography with lectures on Drawing and Painting.
 Artistic Influences:

Matisse / Diebenkorn / Bonard

Tags:

Abstract, color, realistic elements