DENNY ARANT

August 16, 1926 - January 21, 2006

Denny Arant was raised in Washington, DC where he received a BA in Fine Arts from Columbia Technical Institute continuing his education at the Corcoran School of Art. Originally based in Washington, his works were hung in numerous private collections and museums, most notably the Chicago Art Institute, Corcoran Gallery, and the Smithsonian Institution where he received the prestigious Franz Bader Award for Oil Painting. Among his achievements was his selection as representative of the United States in the International Malerwochen in Vienna, Austria in 1981.

He moved to Sarasota in 2002 where he continued to work in his Nokomis studio, and his work caught the attention of the Sarasota Herald Tribune where he was the Featured Artist in the article by Brooksie Bergen in October 2004 Style Magazine. He had just completed gifts to New College of Florida and Sarasota Memorial Hospital before his death.

Mr. Arant was known as an innovative artist who always pushed the limits of expression to new heights. He created in many mediums including wood and metal sculpture, oils, acrylics, and watercolor paintings. He was committed to exploring new techniques, and was the first artist to work with acrylics on plastic sheeting in the 1970's. In his adopted home of Sarasota, Mr. Arant perfected his “poured paintings” that included acrylics, polyurethane and other mixed media materials on canvas without brushes. All his work, whether representational or abstract, reflected his passion for color and texture.

In addition to painting, Mr. Arant had been an adjunct professor of oil painting at Montgomery College in Maryland, and mentored master students privately. With his experience as both artist and teacher he was often asked by local art associations to judge juried shows. He was also a master restorer of fine art for such institutions as the Smithsonian Institution and had been trained under noted restorer Ming Wang.

ARTIST STATEMENT

As an artist I have tried to follow one method of painting: from my heart, to my brain, through my hand, to the canvas. This is my idea of what art really is. I have heard art defined as something beautifully done. I would prefer to delete the word beautifully and preserve done, and let that stand alone in its fullest meaning. Things are not done beautifully. The beauty is in their being done." - Denny Arant


One Person Exhibitions	Gallery Affiliations

Old Capitol Gallery, Tallahassee, FL	Ed Chasen Fine Art, Washington, DC
Franz Bader Gallery, Washington, DC
Henri Gallery, Washington, DC	Honors & Awards
Rittenhouse Square Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Collector’s Corner, Washington, DC	2004, Goodwill Foundation Artist of the Year
The Slade Gallery, Cape Cod, MA	2003, Artist of the Month, Palm Avenue Gallery,
Ocean City Art Center, Ocean City, MD	Sarasota
Knoldner Gallery, Wilmington, DE	2002, Honorable Mention, Backus Gallery, Ft.
Washington Gallery of Art, Washington, DC	Pierce, FL
National Funding Institute, Alexandria, VA	1998,‘92,‘87, Best in Show, Glenview Mansion,
The Foundry Gallery of Art, Washington, DC	Rockville, MD
Spectrum Gallery, Washington, DC	1995, 1996 Artist in Residence, City of Rockville,
Adams Morgan Gallery, Washington, DC	Maryland
Glenview Mansion Gallery, Rockville, MD	1981, United States representative in the
Fun House Gallery, Washington, DC	International Malerwochen, Vienna, Austria
Tilden Mills Gallery, Washington, DC	1978, Honorable Mention, Corcoran Museum of
Anacostia Arts Center, Washington, DC	Art by annual exhibition, Washington, DC
Arts 7 Gallery, Silver Spring, MD	1975, Franz Bader Award for Oil Painting,
Gallery of New Masters, Sandy Spring, MD	Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Assunta Fox Gallery, Santa Ana, CA
	Private Collections
Selected Group Exhibitions
	Temple Ahavat Shalom, Clearwater, FL
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC	Georgetown Univ. Law Center, Washingon, DC
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC	Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, IL
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD	Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. of the Supreme Ct.
International Malerwochen, Vienna, Austria	N Street Village, Washington DC
Art Center Sarasota	Charles Taylor, Washington Redskins
Artescape Naples, Naples, FL	Choral Arts Society of Washington
Art With A Southern Drawl, Mobile, AL	BB & T Banking & Trust Co, Bethesda, MD
Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA	Finnegan, Henderson, Washington, DC
Arlington Center for the Arts, Arlington, VA	Poretsky Gordon Construction, McLean, VA
Walters Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD	Krauthammer & Stahl, Bethesda, MD
American University, Washington, DC	Haspel & McLeod, Rockville, MD
Wooden Head Gallery, Key West, FL	Jones Chandler Foundation, Sarasota, FL
Wave Gallery, Key West, FL	Sarasota Pops Orchestra, Sarasota, FL
Backus Gallery & Museum, Ft. Pierce, FL	Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota, FL
Palm Avenue Galley, Sarasota, FL	New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL
Rockville Arts Place, Rockville, MD
Glenview Mansion, Rockville, MD
Strathmore Hall, Rockville, MD
Montgomery College, Rockville, MD
Washington Post Newspaper, Washingon, DC