Norman Laliberté biography

Norman Laliberté was an American/Canadian artist born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1925, to French-Canadian parents. who left a significant imprint on 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 cultivated his passion for art. In 1948, Laliberte earned his bachelor's degree 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 Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he earned a Master's degree in Art Education in 1956. During his education, Norman Laliberté attended 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 life of the artist, 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 time to dedicate to his artistic career. In 1965, he held his first solo exhibition at Waddington Galleries in Montreal, enjoying success and recognition.
A key turning point in his artistic career occurred in 1964, when he was commissioned to work as 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 brought him international recognition as both an artist and a designer.
Norman Laliberte was a prolific and versatile artist, appearing in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada and the United States. His works have been seen in prestigious collections, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts , the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection New York. He has also created several commissions for various public institutions, including eighteen panels for the international terminal of 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 from McGill University in Montreal.
Norman Laliberté was an artist who infused his works of art with a contagious joie de vivre . His works, which range from painting to engraving and sculpture, are characterized by a childish yet sophisticated aesthetic. Norman Laliberté has left a lasting impression on the art world and continues to be considered an artist of great importance. Despite his death on September 10, 2021, his artistic legacy and influence on the contemporary art scene will remain alive forever.