OUR FEATURED ARTIST

DONALD BRACKEN

8 Lower River Road,
West Cornwall, CT 06796

donaldbracken.com

BORN: May 7, 1951, Torrance, CA
EDUCATION: BFA, University of California, Berkeley, 1973
Don Bracken, a nationally known award winning artist is a native San Franciscan and UC Berkeley graduate who has lived in West Cornwall, Connecticut for 43 years. Paintings and drawing have always been him primary creative focus. One of his greatest visual influences has been the windows of the World Trade Center, where he had an artist in residency fellowship in 1997. In 2007, a series of paintings of deserted farms in the Connecticut River valley became not just about the earth but of the earth when he began to paint landscapes using soil from the farms he was painting.The earth polymer material he has developed has a dynamic, visceral and visual quality that, as it dries and cracks, allows the processes of nature a role alongside the artist in the fluid, changing canvasses they form together. Recent paintings from the NEW Dawn in Ashes series use wood ash and are inspired by forest fires and global climate chaos.
This exhibition at Good News spans work of the last 25 years, from beach landscapes to a few recent examples for the New Dawn Series

Good News Cafe Donald Bracken price list

New Dawn, Out of the Ashes

$ 11,000

Nocturne

$5,500

Moth and the Lost Prophet

$8,000

Farm in Dirt #4

$3,500

Unknown Figure in a Field

$3,500

Farm in Dirt #2

$3,500

New Dawn

$3,000

Winter at Twilight

$3,000

Wetlands

$10,000

Other Side of the Sound

$12,000

Unknown River

$12,000

Unknown Figure at Dawn

$6,000

Happy Dog ( Kirby)

$3,600

Beach Daze

$5,000

Meet Me at the Bridge

$6,000

Beach Daze #2

$2,500

Where Do We Go from Here

$6,000

Swimming from Havana

$6,000

Fleeting Moment

$2,000

Beach Daze at Sunset

$7,000

Walking the Dog

$8,00

A Night in Antigua

$1,300

A Night in Antigua #2

$1,300

Happy Hour

$900

Midsummer Night

$6,000

Primum Non Nocere

$3,500

Naturalis Ordo

$3,500

Dirt Farm #3

$800

Dirt Farm #4

$800

Selected Shows

2022

Mattatuck Museum, UnPlugged: New England Artists Depict Trees, invitational group show, December 2022–February 2023
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

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

2020

Five Points Gallery, Paying Attention, group show, Torrington, CT, June 5–July 11
Carrie Haddad Gallery, Winter Nocturne, Hudson, NY, January–February

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

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

2017

Carrie Haddad Gallery (group show), Hudson, NY, December–January
Norfolk Library (solo show), Norfolk, CT, June

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

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

2014

Five Points Gallery, In and Of the Land (group show), Torrington, CT
Washington Art Association (juried show), Washington, CT; 2nd prize–painting

2013

Lionheart Gallery, Winter Dreams (solo show), Pound Ridge, NY
Washington Art Association (juried show), Washington, CT; 1st prize–sculpture

2012

New Arts Gallery (solo show), Litchfield, CT

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

2010

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

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

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, $1,000

2021

Connecticut Commission for the Arts project grant, $5,000

2020

Martha Boschen Porter Foundation grant, $5,000

2019

Puffin Foundation Grant, $1,000

2018

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

2015

Best in Show, Indian Mountain School, juried show, $5,000
LandEscape Art Review cover artist (details under Publications)

2014

Martha Boschen Porter Foundation grant, $5,000
Ferguson-Sherr-Rea Award, Washington Art Association juried show, Washington, CT

2013

Puffin Foundation grant $900
Ferguson-Sherr-Rea Award, Washington Art Association juried show

2011

Connecticut Commission for the Arts grant $1,000
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

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