Lois Dodd facts for kids

Lois Dodd (born 1927) is an American painter and teacher. She was a very important artist in New York City after World War II. Lois Dodd was also part of a group of modern artists, including Alex Katz, who explored the beautiful coast of Maine in the second half of the 1900s.

About Lois Dodd

Lois Dodd was born in 1927 in Montclair, New Jersey. She studied art at the Cooper Union in New York City from 1945 to 1948.

Starting Her Own Gallery

In the 1950s, Lois Dodd was the only woman to help start the Tanager Gallery. This was a special kind of art space called a co-op gallery. In these galleries, artists worked together to show their own art. She showed her paintings at the Tanager Gallery from 1952 to 1962.

Teaching Art

Lois Dodd also taught art for many years. From 1971 to 1992, she taught at Brooklyn College. She also taught at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. She even served on the school's board of directors. She stopped teaching at Brooklyn College in 1992.

Life and Work Today

Since 1954, Lois Dodd's art has been shown in over 50 solo exhibitions. She is a chosen member of important art groups like the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. Today, she lives in New York and continues to work in Maine.

Maine's Influence

After World War II, many modern artists from New York, including Lois Dodd, started spending their summers in Maine. They loved the old farmhouses, green fields, and bright sunshine. This break from city life allowed them to try new ways of painting. They painted landscapes and people, which was different from the popular Abstract Expressionism art style at the time.

Lois Dodd's Art Style

Lois Dodd's art is special because she paints everyday things. She once said she would "find it, see it, and say 'that's exciting' but I don't want to set things up." This means she paints what she sees around her, like views from her window or scenes in nature. Her paintings are quiet and honest. She doesn't focus on fancy or expensive things. Instead, she finds beauty in simple, real-life moments.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Lois Dodd has had many art shows where her work is displayed.

Catching the Light

In 2013, she had her first big museum show called Catching the Light. This show featured paintings from her 60 years as an artist. It included views of New York City from her apartment, scenes from the woods and gardens of Maine, and winter scenes from her family's home in New Jersey. The exhibition had about 51 paintings from the 1950s to the 2010s.

Other Recent Exhibitions

• (2019) Lois Dodd: Flashings, Philipp Haverkampf Galeire, Berlin Modern Art, London, England
• (2019) Downtown Painting, curated by Alex Katz, Peter Freeman, Inc., New York City, New York
• (2019) LandEscape: New Visions of the Landscape from the Early 20th and 21st Centuries, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, New York
• (2019) Lois Dodd: Paintings and Drawings, Ogunquit Museum of Modern Art, Ogunquit, Maine
• (2018) Lois Dodd: Early Work, Alexandre Gallery, New York City, New York
• (2017) Lois Dodd: Windows and Reflections, List Gallery, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Where Her Art is Kept

Lois Dodd's paintings are part of the permanent collections in many art museums. Some of these include:

• Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
• Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri
• The Museum of Modern Art, New York
• Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City
• Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine
• National Academy of Design, New York

Awards and Honors

Lois Dodd has received many awards and honors for her work.

Grants and Awards

• 2007: Benjamin West Clinedinst Medal
• 2005: Augustus St. Gaudens Distinguished Alumni Award, Cooper Union
• 2004: Honorary Degree Old Lyme Academy
• 1991: American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Purchase Prize
• 1990: National Academy of Design—Henry Ward Ranger Purchase Award
• 1987: Cooper Union Distinguished Alumni Citation
• 1987: National Academy of Design—Leonilda S. Gervas Award
• 1986: American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award
• 1971: Ingram Merrill Foundation Grant
• 1962: Longview Foundation Purchase Award
• 1959–1960: Italian Government Study Grant

Memberships

• 1998 to present: American Academy & Institute of Arts & Letters
• 1990–1993: Colby College Museum Advisory Board
• 1988 to present: National Academy of Design
• 1980 to present: Board of Governors, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
• 1952–1962: A founder of Tanager Gallery