Norman Freedom biography

Norman Laliberté was an American/Canadian artist born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1925, to French-Canadian parents. He made a significant impact in the art world as a printmaker, painter, sculptor, author, and educator.
After spending his youth in Montreal, Canada, he attended the Ecole du Musee des beaux-arts, where he nurtured his passion for art. In 1948, Laliberte graduated and decided to return to the United States to continue his studies at the Institute of Design, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1951. He continued his studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he obtained a Master in Art Education in 1956. During his educational journey, Norman Laliberté took additional courses at the Worcester Museum and the Cranbrook Academy in Michigan, where he was awarded a painting scholarship."}
Teaching was an important aspect in the artist's life, who began his career as an art teacher in 1959 at the Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri. He then held positions at St. Mary's College of Notre Dame University, the Rhode Island School of Design, Newton College in Massachusetts, and again at RISD.
Despite his commitments as a teacher, Norman Laliberte found the time to devote himself to his artistic career. In 1965, he held his first solo exhibition at the Waddington Galleries in Montreal, achieving success and gaining recognition.
A fundamental turning point in his artistic career occurred in 1964, when he was commissioned to work as a consultant at the New York World's Fair. On this occasion, he created a structure composed of 88 banners for the Vatican Pavilion, representing walls of colored glass. This project earned him international recognition both as an artist and as a designer.
Norman Laliberte was a prolific and versatile artist, who exhibited in numerous solo and group shows in Canada and the United States. His works have been admired in prestigious collections, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection in New York. He also completed several commissions for various public institutions, including eighteen panels for the international terminal at Logan Airport in Boston.
In addition to his artistic production, Norman Laliberté has written and illustrated more than twenty books on contemporary art, demonstrating his versatility as an author. His talent and dedication have been rewarded with numerous awards and honors, including an honorary doctorate from both St. Mary's College (University of Notre Dame, Indiana) and McGill University in Montreal.
Norman Laliberté was an artist who infused his artworks with a contagious joy of living. His works, ranging from painting to engraving and sculpture, are characterized by a childlike yet sophisticated aesthetic. Norman Laliberté left a lasting mark on the art world and continues to be regarded as an artist of great significance. Despite his death on September 10, 2021, his artistic legacy and influence on the contemporary art scene will remain alive forever.