ALMA BROCKERMAN WRIGHT

Wright, A. B. (Alma Brockerman) (1875-1952), of Salt Lake City and Le Buge, France, was born and raised on the same city block as Lee Green Richards (q.v.) and Mahonri Young (q.v.), and became a fellow exhibitor in early-century Paris Salons with them. In the 1880s, Wright began studying with George Ottinger (q.v.), then went to school at LDS College, the University of Utah, and the École des Beaux-Arts and the Academy of Colarossi in Paris. Developing a rather admirable "Whistlerian" portrait style, Wright also became the painter of very pleasing and rather distinctive landscape scenes as well as some fine and interesting murals in Utah and in Mormon temples elsewhere. Returning from Europe in 1904, he became an entirely successful art professor and department chair at Brigham Young College in Logan, then LDS College, and finally the U of U in 1931. The highly respected A. B. Wright was an exteremly active and enterprising head of the U of U art program; but during his prime in 1937-38, he was forced to retire from the university for undisclosed reasons. This talented painter and teacher then went to France, never to return to this area. (b. November 22; d. December 5)

Olpin, Robert S., William C. Seifrit, and Vern G. Swanson. ARTISTS OF UTAH. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1999: 285-6.