Donna Frustere is a Master Printmaker and Art Educator with over 40 years of experience. She began her journey in printmaking while completing her BS in Art Education at the University of Maine in 1979 and later pursued an MAED with a concentration in printmaking at The Hartford Art School in 1982.
Frustere has taught and served as Art Department Chair in various Connecticut public schools and private academies, including Renbrook, Watkinson, Kingswood, FOCUS Center for Autism, and the Hartford School District. In 2020, she received the CT Art Educator’s Award. As a Consultant and Advocate, she leads workshops, lectures, and discussions to promote printmaking in art education. She has also served as the CT Art Education Advocacy Chair for the CT Art Education Association.
Frustere has exhibited her work nationally and internationally as a founding member of “The Printmakers Network of Southern New England.” She is also a founding member of the Teaching Artist Program with The CT Commission on Culture and Tourism. Additionally, she served as president of the Canton Artist Guild, Gallery on The Green in CT for 15 years, co-chaired the CT Women Artists Association, and continues to jury, curate, and install exhibitions across New England. Her work is archived in the Slater Museum in Norwich, CT.
Drawing from her life experiences, Donna weaves family stories and materials into her prints. Recently, she relocated to Westerly, RI, and continues to bridge the connection between old and new with visits to Italy and other destinations. She believes that everything has a purpose and that the artist's role is to interpret and reflect traditional, cultural, and environmental influences.
Frustere alludes that the process of printmaking is a fascinating reflection of our lives. It involves layering, editioning, and the continuous act of adding and subtracting elements. Each layer in a print can represent different experiences and memories, while the editioning process ensures that each print is unique yet part of a larger series. The act of adding and subtracting elements in printmaking mirrors the way we build and refine our own life stories, constantly evolving and adapting. This artistic process not only captures the essence of the artist's vision but also serves as a metaphor for the complexities and nuances of human existence.
Contact: dmfrustere@aol.com
