With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
Frank Novack
Education/Curation, Painting/Drawing
1940 –
Attended Norwich Free Academy, returning there to teach c.1971 for the next 38 years until his retirement. Novack exemplifies the pattern of artist-teachers with experience in the larger world but a deep commitment to Norwich.
- Biography/Description of Work
Frank T. Novack was born in Norwich, grew up on the city’s West Side and graduated from the Norwich Free Academy, a Fine Arts major, and later the Hartford Art School. His parents, hands-on farmers who could fix anything, tried to discourage him from art. After naval service, Novack continued his studies at the Boston Museum School. He moved back to Norwich as an art teacher. When Blanche Browning retired as Director of the Art School, Novack became her successor, staying until his retirement in 2009.
- Sources view
- Interview by C. Hitchcock with Vivian Zoe at the Slater Memorial Museum, 10/24/2014.
Norwich Tax Assessors Records and GIS Viewer. Accessed at: http://gis.vgsi.com/NorwichCT/Parcel.aspx?Pid=8075 .
Bixby, Susan B. 1973. Norwichtown Historic District National Register Nomination No. 73001951. National Park Service.
WPA Architectural Survey: Norwich historic building 019. Accessed at: http://cslib.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p4005coll7/id/4752/rec/5 .
Zoe, Vivian. Winter, 2011. ‘The Slater Museum and Connecticut Artists: Unbreakable Bonds, Part II.’ The Muse: Newsletter of the Slater Memorial Museum. Norwich: Slater Memorial Museum.
Zoe, Vivian and Beth Troeger. 10/20/2014. Walking Tour of Bohemian Norwichtown. - Associated Resource(s)