Arthur Polonsky
Encyclopedia
Arthur Polonsky is an American
draughtsman
, painter
and academic.
Born in Lynn, Massachusetts
to East European Jewish immigrants, Polonsky is a graduate of the Boston Museum School
, where he was a student of Karl Zerbe
. In 1947 he was a teaching assistant to Ben Shahn
at the Boston Museum School
Summer Session in Pittsfield, MA. He moved to France
in 1948 where he was absorbed in the artistic ideas of Picasso, Matisse, and Redon
among others. Upon returning to the States
, Polonsky launched his career as an artist and academic.
From 1950 to 1960, he taught at the Boston Museum School in the Painting Department. In 1954 he became Assistant Professor at Brandeis University
in the Fine Arts Department, where he remained until 1965. Polonsky was Associate Professor at Boston University
, College of Fine Arts, from 1965–1990, and is now Professor Emeritus there.
Polonsky, who currently lives in Newton, Massachusetts
, has had a close connection with the Newton Symphony Orchestra, having created three original works for the NSO’s unique program, "Art for Music". His work was featured on the NSO season brochures of 1981, 1983, and 1994.
Polonsky’s works are in many public collections, including The White House in Washington, D.C.
, The Addison Gallery of American Art
in Andover
, The Boston Public Library
, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
, The New York Public Library, The Walker Art Center
in Minneapolis, The Fogg Museum of Harvard University
, The Library of Congress, The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam
, The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, the Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers University
, and the Brockton Art Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts
. He is also represented in many private collections.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
draughtsman
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and academic.
Born in Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
to East European Jewish immigrants, Polonsky is a graduate of the Boston Museum School
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is an undergraduate and graduate college located in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to the visual arts. It is affiliated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in partnership with Tufts University...
, where he was a student of Karl Zerbe
Karl Zerbe
Karl Zerbe was a German-born American painter.The works of Karl Zerbe are significant because they record "the response of a distinguished artist of basically European sensibility to the physical and cultural scene of the New World".-Biography :Karl Zerbe was born in Berlin, Germany.The family...
. In 1947 he was a teaching assistant to Ben Shahn
Ben Shahn
Ben Shahn was a Lithuanian-born American artist. He is best known for his works of social realism, his left-wing political views, and his series of lectures published as The Shape of Content.-Biography:...
at the Boston Museum School
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is an undergraduate and graduate college located in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to the visual arts. It is affiliated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in partnership with Tufts University...
Summer Session in Pittsfield, MA. He moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1948 where he was absorbed in the artistic ideas of Picasso, Matisse, and Redon
Odilon Redon
Bertrand-Jean Redon, better known as Odilon Redon was a French symbolist painter, printmaker, draughtsman and pastellist.-Life:...
among others. Upon returning to the States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Polonsky launched his career as an artist and academic.
From 1950 to 1960, he taught at the Boston Museum School in the Painting Department. In 1954 he became Assistant Professor at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
in the Fine Arts Department, where he remained until 1965. Polonsky was Associate Professor at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, College of Fine Arts, from 1965–1990, and is now Professor Emeritus there.
Polonsky, who currently lives in Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, has had a close connection with the Newton Symphony Orchestra, having created three original works for the NSO’s unique program, "Art for Music". His work was featured on the NSO season brochures of 1981, 1983, and 1994.
Polonsky’s works are in many public collections, including The White House in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, The Addison Gallery of American Art
Addison Gallery of American Art
The Addison Gallery of American Art, as a department of Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, is an academic museum dedicated to collecting American art...
in Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
, The Boston Public Library
Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was the first publicly supported municipal library in the United States, the first large library open to the public in the United States, and the first public library to allow people to...
, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
, The New York Public Library, The Walker Art Center
Walker Art Center
The Walker Art Center is a contemporary art center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is considered one of the nation's "big five" museums for modern art along with the Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum and the Hirshhorn...
in Minneapolis, The Fogg Museum of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, The Library of Congress, The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, the Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, and the Brockton Art Museum, Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
. He is also represented in many private collections.