Donna Frustere is a Master Printmaker and Art Educator. She became immersed in printmaking while completing her BS in Art Ed at the University of Maine in 1979. In 1982 she continued her education at The Hartford Art School to pursue an MAED with concentration in printmaking.
Frustere taught and served as Art Department Chair across Connecticut (CT) public schools and private academies including Renbrook, Watkinson, Kingswood, FOCUS Center for Autism, and the Hartford School District for more than 40 years. In 2020, she received the 2020 CT Art Educator’s Award.
As Consultant and Advocate Frustere leads workshops, lectures, and discussions to promote The Art of Printmaking in Art Education. She is the former CT Art Education Advocacy Chair for the CT Art Education Association.
Since 1993, Frustere has exhibited Nationally and Internationally with “The Printmakers Network of Southern New England” as one of its founding members. She is a founding member of the Teaching Artist and Program with The CT Commission on Culture and Tourism. In addition, she served 15 years as president of the Canton Artist Guild, Gallery on The Green in CT, Co-Chaired the CT Women Artists Assoc. and continues to jury, curate, and install a wide range of Exhibitions across New England. Frustere’s awards are numerous and varied, as is her impact on Printmaking through solo and group exhibitions. Her work is archived in the Slater Museum in Norwich CT.
Donna draws from her life experience for inspiration, weaving family stories and materials into her prints to achieve her vision. Printmaking provides layering tools and effects that support the nuance of communication and expression. Recently she relocated to her roots in Westerly RI and bridges the connection between old and new with visits to Italia and other destinations. She believes everything has a purpose, understanding the artist's role to interpret and reflect the traditional, cultural, and environmental influences, she imbues these changes with today’s significance.
Contact: dmfrustere@aol.com
