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Leroy Burketpainter
United States
1920 - 2003
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Leroy Kirwan Burket, Jr. was born on April 13, 1920, in Alton, Iowa, alongside his (younger) twin sister, Eunice. In 1928, at age 8, his family moved from Alton to Akron, where he graduated high school in 1938. During his compulsory education, he participated in school plays, Boy Scouts – earning the rank of Eagle Scout – and worked as an art editor for his high school’s newspaper. After graduating high school, Burket attended the University of Iowa, where he received his B.F.A. in 1942. Upon his graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving from 1942-1945. He was then honorably discharged and returned to the University of Iowa in pursuit of a master’s degree, which he received in 1948. Beginning in 1948, Burket taught courses in art at the University of Nebraska until 1957, when he moved to France. In France, he taught art classes at the U.S. Air Force base near Paris, and later worked at the Trianon Press in the city. There, he helped develop a series of illustrated books of poetry by William Blake, until his retirement in 1986. Following his retirement, he continued to live in France, visiting family in the United States annually. On May 13, 2003, Burket passed away at age 83.
Sources
“Leroy K. Burket.” Prices and Estimates of Works, www.arcadja.com/auctions/en/burket_leroy_k_/artist/455102/.
“LeRoy Kirwan ‘Roy’ Burket, Jr (1920-2003) - Find...” Find A Grave, www.findagrave.com/memorial/8081793/leroy-kirwan-burket.
“Rudy Pozzatti and Leroy Burket.” Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma , www.ou.edu/fjjma/exhibitions1/past-exhibitions/1950-1959/pozzatti-burket.
George Arbanas, ‘20
March 2020