Norman LaLiberté (1925–2021)

was an American-Canadian artist renowned for his work as a printmaker, painter, sculptor, author, and educator. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, to French Canadian parents, he was raised in Montreal, where he attended l’École du Musée des beaux-arts, graduating in 1948. He furthered his education in the United States, earning a Bachelor of Science from the Institute of Design in 1951 and a Master of Science in Art Education from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1956. He also studied at the Worcester Museum and received a painting scholarship to the Cranbrook Academy in Michigan.

LaLiberté began his teaching career in 1959 at the Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri. He subsequently held positions at St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame University in Indiana (1960–1965), the Rhode Island School of Design (1965–1966 and 1976–1977), and Newton College in Massachusetts (1967). Throughout his career, he was a guest lecturer and workshop leader at various institutions across the U.S. and Canada, receiving honorary doctorates from both Notre Dame and McGill University.

A pivotal moment in LaLiberté’s career occurred after a visit to Siena, Italy, where he was inspired by the city’s summer festivals. This led him to create fabric banners, a medium that became central to his work. His innovative designs garnered international attention when he served as a consultant for the Vatican Pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, where he created a structure of 88 banners resembling stained glass walls. His most recent major commission involved creating eighteen large panels for the International Terminal at Logan Airport in Boston.

LaLiberté’s works are included in numerous prestigious collections, such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, and the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. He passed away on September 10, 2021, at his home in Nahant, Massachusetts.