Donna Bruton (May 3, 1954 – September 9, 2012; née Donnamaria Bruton, also known as Donna Bruton-Coutis) was an American painter, academic administrator, and educator. She was a faculty member at the Rhode Island School of Design, and was known for her mixed media paintings and collages.[1][2][3]
Donna Bruton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Donnamaria Bruton May 3, 1954 |
| Died | September 9, 2012 (aged 58) Portsmouth, Rhode Island, United States |
| Other names | Donna Bruton-Coutis |
| Education | Michigan State University, Yale University |
| Occupation(s) | Visual artist, teacher, arts administrator |
| Known for | Collage, painting |
| Spouse | Tim Coutis |
| Father | Bill Bruton |
| Relatives | Judy Johnson (maternal grandfather) |
Early life and education
editDonnamaria Bruton was born on May 3, 1954, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her father was baseball player Bill Bruton, and her grandfather on her mother's side was Negro leagues player Judy Johnson.[4]
She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Michigan State University, and a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University.[5] She studied under painter Edward Loper and exhibited with Dell Pryor in Detroit.[1] She married Timothy Coutis in January 1999.[6]
Career
editBruton worked at RISD starting in 1992, serving as painting department head from 2001 to 2003, and as interim dean of graduate studies from 2003 to 2005.[7]
Bruton's style, described by The Providence Journal as "a loose free-flowing style.... but with a strong realistic streak," makes use of her drawing, painting and collage skills.[8] Many of her collages employ mundane objects as the key to getting at a deeper memory or concept.[9] Her first solo exhibit was in 1993 in Austin, Texas, and was well received.[10] Later in her career, the size of her works expanded, many to canvases 8 by 8 feet (2.4 by 2.4 m).[11]
Bruton received the Blanche E. Colman Award from BNY Mellon in 1999.[6] Her work is several museum collections, including at the RISD Museum, the Newport Art Museum,[12] and the Gwanjiu Museum in Korea, as well as several private collections.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b "Estate of Donnamaria Bruton". Cade Tompkins Projects. 2012-04-26. Archived from the original on 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- ^ "Donna Bruton passes away – RISD Academic Affairs". RISD Academic Affairs – Rhode Island School of Design Academic Affairs. 2012-12-17. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- ^ "Donna Bruton-Coutis's Notice". Legacy.com. 2012-09-09. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- ^ "Donna Bruton". NetWorks Rhode Island. YouTube. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ "Donna Bruton (1954 - 2012)". NetWorks Rhode Island. 2010-06-22. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- ^ a b c "Donna Bruton-Coutis". Newport Daily News. USA Today Network. Sep 14, 2012. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ "Donna Bruton, 1954–2012". Our RISD. 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- ^ Bill, Van Siclen (October 10, 2013). "Part memory, part dreamscape at exhibit of Donnamarie Bruton's work". Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ Carducci, Vince (June 16, 2004). "Visual Art Femme gems". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ Goldman, Saundra (May 1, 1993). "Viewing of Artist's Work Insightful". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ "Mythic Meditations". RISD. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- ^ "Newport Art Museum". Archived from the original on 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2020-10-25.