Donald Bracken              

1951, Torrance, CA                    

BFA, University of California, Berkeley, 1973

 

Selected Shows  
 

 2024     Washington Art Association, members juried show, February 

              Five Points Gallery, Small Works, group show, Torrington, CT, November-December

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 2023     New Britain Museum, Nor’Easter, 53rd Annual Juried Show, Juror’s Choice Award,

              New Britain, CT, September–October

              Mattatuck Museum, Unplugged, Invitational Group Show, six paintings, Waterbury, CT, December 2022–February 2023 

              Schumacher Gallery, Westover School, Middlebury, Ct, January - April

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2022      Washington Art Association, Invitational Group Show , December

              Five Points Gallery, 10-Year Anniversary Invitational Show Group Show, December

              New Britain Museum, Nor’Easter, 52nd Annual Juried Show, August

              Mattatuck Museum, The Village Project, with collaborator Denise Minnerly, Waterbury, CT, March 9–May 8

              Mattatuck Museum, Mixmaster Juried Exhibition, Viewers Choice Prize–Favorite Painting Award, Waterbury, CT, January 30–March 6

              Washington Art Association, Members Juried Show, First Prize for Painting, January

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2021      Five Points Gallery, Reflecting on September 11, 20th Anniversary Invitational Show, curated by Donald Bracken and including Bracken

              paintings, Torrington, CT, August 26–September 26

              Five Points Gallery 2021 Juried Exhibition, Torrington, CT, July 2–August 14

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2020      Five Points Gallery, Paying Attention, group show, Torrington, CT, June 5–July 11

              Carrie Haddad Gallery, Winter Nocturne, Hudson, NY, January–February

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2019       Katonah Museum, The Edge Effect, International Juried Exhibition, Katonah, NY, July–Sept

               Creative Arts Workshop, The Village Project, with collaborator Denise Minnerly, and show of my paintings in gallery, New Haven, CT, Feb–                    March

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2018       Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, 2018 BAA Biennial (juried show), The Village Project, with collaborator Denise Minnerly, Pittsfield, MA,          

               October; juror: Caitlin Tucker-Melvin, Visual Arts Manager, MASS MOCA

               New Britain Museum, Nor'Easter, 48th Annual Members Juried Exhibition, New Britain, CT, June–July

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2017       Carrie Haddad Gallery (group show), Hudson, NY, December–January

               Norfolk Library (solo show), Norfolk, CT, June

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2016       Ober Gallery, Inner Landscapes (solo show), Kent, CT

               Washington Art Association (juried show), Washington Depot, CT

               Indian Mountain School (juried show), Lakeville, CT; won best in show ($5,000)

               Mattatuck Museum (juried show), Waterbury, CT

               New Britain Museum, Nor’Easter, 46th Annual Members Juried Exhibition, New Britain, CT; curated by Judy McElhone

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2015       Five Points Gallery, Damascus Road (solo show—east gallery), Torrington, CT

               Katonah Museum, Line Describing a Cone, two pieces in tri-state juried exhibition, Katonah, NY; curated by Eva Respini (MoMA curator)

               Lionheart Gallery (solo show), Pound Ridge, NY

               Norwalk Community College, The Village Project, with collaborator Denise Minnerly, Norwalk, CT

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2014       Five Points Gallery, In and Of the Land (group show), Torrington, CT

               Washington Art Association (juried show), Washington, CT; 2nd prize–painting

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2013       Lionheart Gallery, Winter Dreams (solo show), Pound Ridge, NY

               Washington Art Association (juried show), Washington, CT; 1st prize–sculpture

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2012       New Arts Gallery (solo show), Litchfield, CT

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2011       New York State Museum, Reflecting on September 11, 2001 (3 paintings in group show), Albany, NY

               Connecticut Commission for the Arts, installation (group show), Hartford, CT

               Washington Art Association (juried show); jurors prize, Washington, CT

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2010       New Arts Gallery, Earth Variations (solo show), Litchfield, CT

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2009       Bachelier-Cardonsky Gallery (gallery-closing group show), Kent, CT

               Carrie Haddad Gallery, Landscapes (two-person show), Hudson, NY

               Washington Art Association (solo show), Washington, CT

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2008       CT Commission for the Arts, Touring CT exhibition (group show), Hartford, CT

               New Arts Gallery, Views from the Flood Plain (solo show), Litchfield, CT

2007       New Arts Gallery, Memoriam: Paintings from the WTC (solo show), Litchfield, CT

2006       New Arts Gallery, Three Decades of Painting (solo show), Litchfield, CT

2005       City Lights Gallery, New Landscape (solo show), Bridgeport, CT

               Lower Manhattan Cultural Council at CB Richard Ellis (group show), NY, NY

2004       New Arts Gallery, Arbitrary Rivers (solo show), Litchfield, CT

2002       New Arts Gallery, View from the 91st Floor (solo show), Litchfield, CT

2000       Bachelier-Cardonsky Gallery (three-person show), Kent, CT

1999       World Trade Center, LMCC: World View Retrospective Exhibition, NY, NY

1998       The Studio School, Vertigo (group show), NY, NY

1997       The Federal Reserve Bank (group show), NY, NY

1992       Mattatuck Museum, New Worlds (invitational show), Waterbury, CT

1991       Mattatuck Museum, Connecticut Artists (juried show), Waterbury, CT

               Bachelier-Cardonsky Gallery, Remembrance of Things Past, Kent, CT

1987       Stephen Haller Fine Arts (solo show), NY, NY

               Aldrich Museum, State of the Arts (group show), Ridgefield, CT

1986       Wexler Gallery (group show), NY, NY

               Almquist Gallery, Winter Dreams (solo show), New Preston, CT

1985       Baruch College, Art Against Apartheid (group show), Brooklyn, NY

               Wexler Gallery, Swimmers at Ground Zero, (solo show), NY, NY

1984       Le Boit, Swimmers at Ground Zero (solo show; opened Sept 11), NY, NY

               Attack Gallery, Swimmers at Ground Zero (solo show), Los Angeles, CA

               ABC No Rio Gallery, Art Against Apartheid (group show), NY, NY

               Kamikaze Club, Puerilism (group show), NY, NY

1983       Vassar College (solo show), Poughkeepsie, NY

1981       Northern Connecticut Art Association (juried show), Winsted, CT; best in show

               Awards and Fellowships

2022       Mattatuck Museum juried show, viewers’ choice, first prize for painting

               Ferguson-Sherr-Rea Award for painting, Washington Art Association

2021       Connecticut Commission for the Arts project grant

2020       Martha Boschen Porter Foundation grant

2019       Puffin Foundation Grant

2018       Connecticut Commission for the Arts Regis Grant, with collaborator Denis Minnerly     

2015       Best in Show, Indian Mountain School

               LandEscape Art Review cover artist (details under Publications)

2014       Martha Boschen Porter Foundation grant

               Ferguson-Sherr-Rea Award, Washington Art Association juried show, Washington, CT

2013       Puffin Foundation grant 

               Ferguson-Sherr-Rea Award, Washington Art Association juried show

2011       Connecticut Commission for the Arts grant, Jurors prize, Washington Art Association

1997       Artist-in-residence fellowship, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, World Trade Center, NY, NY

1985       Robert C. Scull Foundation for the Arts grant

1984       Artist-in-residence fellowship, Edna St. Vincent Millay Colony

1982       Artist-in-residence fellowship, Edna St. Vincent Millay Colony

1981       Best in show, NCAA juried show, Winsted, CT

               Honorable mention, Fuller Art Museum, national juried show, Brockton, MA

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Selected Bibliography and Publications
 

• Tracy O’Shaughnessy, Art Review: Fateful Day Recounted in Exhibit at Five Points Gallery, September 22, 2021.

• LandEscape Art Review Fall 2015 special edition, featured cover artist chosen in international competition; also published in Art Habens, special issue, June 2016.

• Craig LaMoult, “Artist Who Painted from WTC: 10 Years Later,” NPR news, WSHU, Fairfield, CT, September 7, 2011, www.wshu.org/news/story.php?ID=9080

• Jane Roy Brown, “From the Field, From the Tower,” Litchfield Magazine, September–October, 2011, www.townvibe.com/Litchfield/September-October-2011/From-the-Tower/

• Tracy O’Shaughnessy, “Putting the Land Back into Landscape,” Waterbury Republican-American, July 7, 2010.

• Faith Middleton, Peabody Museum, “Don Bracken, Neighborhoods,” WNPR, CT, April 14, 2008.

• Jamie Ferris, “From Dust to Art,” Litchfield County Times, March 21, 2008, pages 1 & 2j.

• Tracy O’Shaughnessy, “Evocative Solitude Shown In Litchfield,” Waterbury Republican-American, April 14, 2006.

• Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, “Site Matters,” LMCC Artist Residency Program in the World Trade Center, 1997–2001, pub. 2005.

• Tracey O’Shaughnessy, “Forewarning: Cornwall Painter Says World Trade Center Visit Sparked Apocalyptic Vision,” Waterbury Republican-American, Sept. 11, 2002, section D, pages 1 & 2, color photos.

• Margaret DeMarino, “Water Colors His Vision,” The Sunday Republican Magazine, Waterbury Republican, January 18, 1987.

• “Swimmers at Ground Zero,” Galleries Magazine no. 7, November 1985.

• Peter Clothier, “Art Seen,” L.A. Weekly, June–July 1985.

• Kristine McKenna, “The Art Galleries,” Los Angeles Times, June 28, 1984, section VI. 

 

Selected Collections

 

Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY

Federal Reserve Bank, New York, NY

Millbrook School, Millbrook, NY

Connecticut Artist Collection, State of CT

Raymond Learsy, New York, NY

Thierry Morin, London, UK

Elizabeth Rea, Washington, CT

Robert Pittman, Katonah, NY

Tim Prentice, West Cornwall, CT

Robert Scull, Warren, CT

Jerry Wexler, New York, NY

Laurie Colwin, New York, NY

Peter Kauff, Bethlehem, CT

William Steig, Boston, MA

Robert S. & Marty Rubin, New York, NY

Carol Peck, Woodbury, CT

Francine Ellman, Santa Monica, CA

Mr. & Mrs. Nelson-Slater, Taconic, CT

Paul Wexler, Jersey City, NJ

Martha  Boschen Porter, Lime Rock, CT

Eliot Osborn, Salisbury, CT 

Philippe Selendy, New York, NY

Rod Ober, Kent, CT

Mara Fizdale, Sharon, CT

Ian Ingersoll, West Cornwall, CT 

Richard Schlesinger, West Cornwall, CT