Loretta Domaszewski was born in 1957 outside of NYC, raised on the shoreline in Greenwich, Connecticut. She spent her childhood exploring the diverse beach terrain, trails, boatyards, and fishing in small wood crafted boats. Loretta attributes her love for fine art and nature from her father who grew up in Poland. She sat side by side him as he created professional hand painted gold leaf signs, landscape oil paintings, carved sculptures, and played European folk music with his mandolin and violin.
Loretta had a passion for art and teaching at a very young age where she persevered and committed to her art career that has continued throughout her life. She was encouraged by her elementary school teachers to paint murals, teach drawing to her classmates, and win several contests and art awards that helped build her confidence and vision as an adult. She was exposed to major art exhibitions and collections at New York City art museums and galleries. In 1973 Loretta was included in a special invitation to the private Hirshorn Estate Art and Sculpture Garden Collection before it was moved to its renown location in Washington D.C. This experience with such an impressive collection, in addition to being mentored with private viewings of contemporary artworks by Warhol, Rauschenberg, Motherwell, Calder and Vasarely, influenced her to make a life long commitment to the arts.
As a young teenager Loretta took her art seriously, creating her first 4’ x 5’ commissioned painting and was awarded a scholarship to study art with contemporary adult artists. Loretta painted the landscape surrounding the salt marsh, rivers, and lakes, where she learned the importance of watershed and land conservation. The many aspects of water in nature, from the importance of agriculture, recreation, to conservation has been a passion of the artist since her first studies in her youth with water quality testing, water resources, and the importance of preserving wetlands.
The phenomenon of nature is the source of Loretta’s expressionist styled paintings, sculptures, conceptual installations, and public art. Each year, Loretta aspires to show in current exhibitions that benefit non-profit conservation organizations. This endeavor has been a life long pursuit, a way to educate and support community.
Loretta exhibits her paintings nationally and locally in galleries, museums, and universities. She is a member of the American Impressionist Society, American Women Artists, a recipient of the Montana Arts Council, awarded a Faber Birren Liquitex Color Award, and has been featured in the Western Art Collectors Magazine. Her paintings are in art collections, including Bozeman Public Library, Nantucket Historical Museum, Nantucket Artist Association,and Huntington T. Block.
Loretta has a BFA from Tufts University and the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, and a K-12 Art Teaching Certificate from Brandeis University. She teaches innovative workshops for adults, children, seniors, special needs, and cancer support in Bozeman and throughout the United States. Loretta is a former art instructor at the Nantucket Island School of Design and Art, Nantucket, MA., Montana State University and Bozeman High School, Bozeman, Montana.
EDUCATION:
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1985 BFA, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.
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1985 BFA, Tufts University, Medford, MA
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1984 San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA (Literature)
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1982 K-2 Teaching Certification, Brandeis University, West Newton, MA
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1980 University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, Nantucket Biological Field Station
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(Nantucket Island Environmental Studies Research Program)
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1976 State University of New York, Purchase, NY (Painting)
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1993 Montana State University (Art Education)