(1908-1980)
Born: Dane County, Wisconsin
Chet La More was an American painter, sculptor, printmaker, and educator. He was born in 1908 in Dane County, Wisconsin and grew up in Madison. He studied briefly at the Layton School of Art before receiving instruction from Arthur Colt, a student of Charles Hawthorne. He attended the University of Wisconsin, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Art History and Criticism in 1932. La More opened his own studio in Madison, where he focused on traditionally French-influenced portraits and figures. He was unable to make a living with his art in Madison, and quickly realized how isolated he was from contemporary art movements.
In 1933 he left Madison to travel to Baltimore, an intended stop before settling in New York. He remained in Baltimore for three years, during which time he met his wife. He picked up an assortment of odd jobs; in late 1933 he began working on art projects under the Public Works program. He continued creating public works art projects and was hired as a mural painter under the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP).
In 1936 La More moved to New York and continued to work on various projects under TRAP. He also became an active participant in the Artists’ Union In 1939, La More had an exhibition at the prestigious Perl Gallery (New York). He relocated again in 1942, this time to Buffalo, where he taught at the Albright Art School. He taught for one year, fought in the U.S. Army for two years, and returned to Buffalo to teach for two more years. In 1947, La More left Buffalo and settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There he worked as a Professor in Art at the University of Michigan until 1974.
His works have been exhibited at several institutions throughout his career, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Carnegie Institute, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Chet La More died in 1980.