Leonard DeLonga was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 sculptor, painter

Painting

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

, and professor at Mount Holyoke College

Mount Holyoke College

Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...

. He was "best known as a metal sculptor, specializing in welded steel and bronze."

Background

Delonga was originally from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....

. He grew up working in steel mills around Pittsburgh  and received his B.A. from the University of Miami

University of Miami

The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...

 in 1950. He then studied under Lamar Dodd

Lamar Dodd

Lamar Dodd was a U.S. painter whose work reflected a love of the American South.- Early life and education :Born in Fairburn, Georgia to Rev...

 at the University of Georgia

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...

, graduating in 1952. DeLonga taught at Georgia where he, "became a noteworthy metal sculptor." He also became known for his work in "ivory, steel and bronze sculptures, oil paintings and drawings."

Career

DeLonga joined Mount Holyoke in 1964 and established the sculpture program at the college (where he taught until his death in 1991). His studio was located in the basement of his home, which he shared with his wife Sandy DeLonga, close to the college.

He died of a brain tumor on Dec. 4, 1991. The Higgins Armory Museum

Higgins Armory Museum

Higgins Armory Museum, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, housed in a steel Art Deco Building, is one of the few museums in the Western Hemisphere devoted to arms and armour. The museum is a public, non-profit museum specializing in the history of arms and armor...

 held the "Leonard Anthony DeLonga: Modern Master of Medieval Metalwork" exhibit from October 1993 - July 1994. His work was represented by Kraushaar Galleries in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

Further reading

• Magiera, Frank. "Leonard DeLonga's Work is Remembered at Higgins." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, October 31, 1993, p. 10.
• Humanism in New England art.

External links

• Tribute to Leonard DeLonga