Russ Conn was a celebrated Boonton, NJ and Palm Beach, FL artist. His successful early years were tracked by his hometown, Boonton. After high school, he went off to college and participated in World War I. Upon returning home from the war he joined the family business of inventors bringing early automation to Wall Street. By age 40, retiring from his career he took up his passion for painting and art.
He went off to Florida's Norton Gallery and School of Art, where he studied under the who’s who of great artists: Elliot O’Hara; Adolph Dehn; William Thon; Dong Kingman. Looking at Conn's work, you can see the influence of these teachers. With his fortune he traveled the world, and painted the locations that he visited. There has been an estimate that he might have painted more than 5,000 paintings during his life.
In his watercolor, “The Japanese Market”, Conn illustrates his time in Japan. The large white sign above the shop is clearly in Japanese, a combination of kanji and hiragana. Below are the shopkeepers who are unboxing the fresh fruits and vegetables and putting them on display. We can imagine that if we walked down the street, we would see additional shopkeepers preparing for the day.
Conn died in Boonton after a major exhibit opening in September 1983.
The information below is provided by Florida author, researcher and emergency doctor, Alfred Frankel:
Exhibits: Society of The Four Arts, 13th Annual Members Exhibit, December 1950-January 1951, watercolor; Society of The Four Arts, 14th Annual Members Exhibit, December 1951-January 1952, 3rd prize, watercolor, abstraction, Bells; Ridge Art Gallery, Winter Haven, February 1952; St. Augustine Art Association, March 1954, Milton Bacon Award, best watercolor, Night over the Chateua; Florida Artist Group, 6th Annual Circuit, Palm Beach Art League, April 1955, Numbers Racket; Society of The Four Arts, Contemporary American Painting Exhibition, December 1955, watercolor, Defense d’ Afficher; University of Miami, The Lowe Gallery, Patronato De Bellas Artes Y Museos Nacionales, Palm Beach, Miami, Havana, December, 1955, January-February 1956, Defense d’ Afficher; Society of The Four Arts, Contemporary American Paintings, December 1957, watercolor and ink, New Growth; Allied Artists of America, New York City; Trenton State Museum; National Art Museum, Havana; Daytona Beach Art League, annual, January 1957, judge; Daytona Beach Art League, January 1957, one man show, watercolors; Florida State Fair, Tampa, 1958, prize, Life’s Mystery; Palm Beach Art League, 1958; Society of The Four Arts, 20th Annual, Contemporary American Paintings, December 1958, mixed media, October Hike; Society of The Four Arts, 22nd Annual, Contemporary American Paintings, December 1960, watercolor and polymer, To Grandmother’s House; Strait Museum, Lake Worth; Norton Gallery of Art, Palm Beach.
Membership: Salmagundi Club, New York City; Florida Federation of Art (treasurer, 1956); Palm Beach Art League (president, 1957); Society of The Four Arts; Florida Artist Group.
"Great art collecting need not be based on a fortune; instead education, experience and eye are more important" The Waller-Yoblonsky Blogspot.
He went off to Florida's Norton Gallery and School of Art, where he studied under the who’s who of great artists: Elliot O’Hara; Adolph Dehn; William Thon; Dong Kingman. Looking at Conn's work, you can see the influence of these teachers. With his fortune he traveled the world, and painted the locations that he visited. There has been an estimate that he might have painted more than 5,000 paintings during his life.
In his watercolor, “The Japanese Market”, Conn illustrates his time in Japan. The large white sign above the shop is clearly in Japanese, a combination of kanji and hiragana. Below are the shopkeepers who are unboxing the fresh fruits and vegetables and putting them on display. We can imagine that if we walked down the street, we would see additional shopkeepers preparing for the day.
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| "The Japanese Market" Watercolor on Paper Approx Size: 21" X 14" Signed LRC in Block Letters: Russ Conn |
Conn went on to document his hometown of Boonton in his mid-80s. These watercolors of the architectural treasures and scenes of Boonton have been exhibited at the 150th Anniversary of Boonton, and the local hospital has used his works as a fundraiser.
Fred Frankel, a Florida writer, researched and documented Conn’s art life. Conn was a member of the Salmagundi Club in New York City, served as president of the Palm Beach Art League, and in 1956 was treasurer of the Florida Federation of Art. He painted Florida scenes from the 1940’s into the 1960’s. In 1957 Conn served as a judge of the annual member exhibit of the Art Club of St. Petersburg. He had numerous one man exhibits (information listed below).
Fred Frankel, a Florida writer, researched and documented Conn’s art life. Conn was a member of the Salmagundi Club in New York City, served as president of the Palm Beach Art League, and in 1956 was treasurer of the Florida Federation of Art. He painted Florida scenes from the 1940’s into the 1960’s. In 1957 Conn served as a judge of the annual member exhibit of the Art Club of St. Petersburg. He had numerous one man exhibits (information listed below).
Conn died in Boonton after a major exhibit opening in September 1983.
Russ Conn with his painting of the Boonton Opera House and Maxfield Fire House
Photo Provided by Saint Claire's Hospital
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Exhibits: Society of The Four Arts, 13th Annual Members Exhibit, December 1950-January 1951, watercolor; Society of The Four Arts, 14th Annual Members Exhibit, December 1951-January 1952, 3rd prize, watercolor, abstraction, Bells; Ridge Art Gallery, Winter Haven, February 1952; St. Augustine Art Association, March 1954, Milton Bacon Award, best watercolor, Night over the Chateua; Florida Artist Group, 6th Annual Circuit, Palm Beach Art League, April 1955, Numbers Racket; Society of The Four Arts, Contemporary American Painting Exhibition, December 1955, watercolor, Defense d’ Afficher; University of Miami, The Lowe Gallery, Patronato De Bellas Artes Y Museos Nacionales, Palm Beach, Miami, Havana, December, 1955, January-February 1956, Defense d’ Afficher; Society of The Four Arts, Contemporary American Paintings, December 1957, watercolor and ink, New Growth; Allied Artists of America, New York City; Trenton State Museum; National Art Museum, Havana; Daytona Beach Art League, annual, January 1957, judge; Daytona Beach Art League, January 1957, one man show, watercolors; Florida State Fair, Tampa, 1958, prize, Life’s Mystery; Palm Beach Art League, 1958; Society of The Four Arts, 20th Annual, Contemporary American Paintings, December 1958, mixed media, October Hike; Society of The Four Arts, 22nd Annual, Contemporary American Paintings, December 1960, watercolor and polymer, To Grandmother’s House; Strait Museum, Lake Worth; Norton Gallery of Art, Palm Beach.
Membership: Salmagundi Club, New York City; Florida Federation of Art (treasurer, 1956); Palm Beach Art League (president, 1957); Society of The Four Arts; Florida Artist Group.
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"Great art collecting need not be based on a fortune; instead education, experience and eye are more important" The Waller-Yoblonsky Blogspot.
Special thanks goes out to Alfred Frankel for his extensive research and dedication to the documentation of Florida Artists.
©2020. Waller-Yoblonsky Fine Art is a research collaborative, working to track artists that got lost and overlooked due to time, changing styles, race, gender and/or sexual orientation. Our frequent blogs highlight artists and art movements that need renewed attention with improved information for the researcher and art collectors. The blog was created by Mr. Waller and all written materials were obtained by the Fair Use Section 107, of The Copyright Act. #waller-yoblonskyblogspot #walleryoblonskyblogspot #russconn #russellconn #floridaartist
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