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Robert Bonawitz

Robert Bonawitz lives and works in St. Paul, MN, not far from the Mississippi River. It is his experience of what he terms the area’s “lush summers, crisp falls, cold white winters and milky spring skies” that brought him to plein air painting of local landscapes and landmarks on site. Working in this way, the artist documents the beauty and character of his home region, depicting vistas at Fort Snelling, Minnehaha Falls and the town of Red Wing, among others.

Bob studied printmaking and illustration at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design and classical painting at Atelier Lack, where he was awarded two gold medals. An accomplished fresco artist, he was commissioned to create paintings for several St. Paul restaurants, including Yarusso Brothers, The Glockenspiel, Tavern on Grand, and Wild Onion. His work is represented in the collections of the Minnesota Historical Society, the Michigan State Capitol and the Cincinnati Historical Society.

The artist earned Best of Show awards for his oil paintings at the 2007 Stillwater En Plein Air Competition and at the 2008 Art is in the Air Plein Air Festival in Red Wing.