ANGELO DI BENEDETTO PAPERS

Angelo Di Benedetto (1913-1992) was born and raised in Paterson, NJ. In 1930, he embarked on his lifelong study of art when he enrolled in the Cooper Union Art School in New York City. Di Benedetto graduated with a degree in freehand drawing in 1934. He received a scholarship to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts where he studied until 1937. That year, Di Benedetto returned to Paterson where he continued painting. He entered his first competitive exhibit at the Montclair, New Jersey Museum and won both first prize and first honorable mention.

Di Benedetto joined the US Air Force in 1938 and toured in Haiti and Africa. He lived in Haiti for six months, painting and studying the culture, and even attending voodoo rituals. Di Benedetto's Haitian paintings launched his fruitful career. Di Benedetto first received national attention in 1940 when Life Magazine reproduced the series of Haitian paintings. Afterwards, his work was sought and reproduced in many national magazines and newspapers including Newsweek, Art News, Ladies Home Journal, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. Encyclopedia Britannica purchased one of Di Benedetto's Haitian paintings for its collection of American modern artists in 1945. Di Benedetto illustrated two books, How the Donkey Came to Haiti and Other Tales (1949), and Pancake Sees the World (1952) for children.

Di Benedetto was stationed at Buckley Field in Denver from 1945-46. After being discharged Di Benedetto moved to Central City. From there, he produced the paintings and sculptures that were exhibited across the country during the next 3 decades. Di Benedetto's exhibitions both solo and group, include:

Di Benedetto created many permanent displays in Colorado and throughout the United States. During the 1960s and 1970s, he received numerous major commissions for outdoor sculptures and one mural. Commissions include a sculptured copper wall, eighty feet in length, for the Jewish Community Center (1962); sculpture garden for General Rose Hospital (1964); Burns Park which comprised nine sculptures by as many artists (1968); a neighborhood park sculpture in Yonkers, New York (1971); a sculpture for the Pueblo ice skating rink (1976); and a mural for the Colorado Judicial Building (1976).

Di Benedetto was interested in encouraging the appreciation of art and artists. Throughout his career he gave workshops, classes, and lectured on art and related topics around the country. He began teaching in 1949 at his home studio - a large warehouse - located in Central City. In 1950, he opened the Denver Art Center, which welcomed anyone interested in learning to draw or paint. Di Benedetto taught at the Jewish Community Center, Steele Community Center, the International House, Southern Colorado State College, and lectured on modern art at the University of Denver.

His interest in promoting the arts led to Di Benedetto's participation in numerous organizations. In the 1960s, he became concerned with environmental and urban art and was the president of the non-profit organization, Art for the Cities. He was the chairman of and an exhibitor in the first annual environmental art exhibit held at Denver's American Medical Center. In 1968, Governor John Love appointed him to the Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities; he remained active until 1975. During this time he served as program chairman two consecutive years for the Governor's Conference on the Arts and Humanities. At the 1969 Conference, Governor Love presented Di Benedetto an award for his contribution to the arts and artists of Colorado.

In addition to his artistic career, Di Benedetto participated in the civic life of Central City. He was the town's Police Magistrate from 1955-56. He campaigned twice for the office of mayor, first in 1966 and again in 1973, and he ran for Commissioner in 1976. Di Benedetto was married several times; his first wife was Lee Porzio, a ceramicist with whom he had two daughters, Michele and Mia.