The Life of Artist Marc Wurmbrand

Crafton Hills College (CHC) will hold a Celebration of Life for Marc Wurmbrand, former art faculty member who passed away last September. The celebration will be held in the CHC Art Gallery on Saturday, April 12th, from 2 to 5 p.m. and will feature his art. Wurmbrand was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Wurmbrand graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University in 1965. The art department at the University of Texas, Austin embraced Wurmbrand’s classically trained talent as well as his unique vision and natural gift for teaching. Wurmbrand later taught at San Bernardino Valley College, leaving to found the art department at Crafton Hills College. During his 35-year tenure there, he would receive honors for Teacher of the Year, warmly offering his talent to generations of students. Marc Wurmbrand brought a wide-open, experiential approach to his teaching and his artwork. Throughout his career Wurmbrand taught with focus, care, humor and passion. Every student was treated to the full force of his education and expertise. Across 50 years, Marc Wurmbrand participated in shows at San Bernardino Valley College, Crafton Hills College, Cooper Union, Yale University, University of Texas, Austin, University of California, Los Angeles as well as commercial venues. In a reflection on coming of age as an artist amidst Rothko, DeKooning, Guston, Pollack, and Kline, Wurmbrand wrote, “Painting was not about making pictures; it was a journey to another space and time.” This retrospective show represents the depth and breadth of Wurmbrand’s work, spanning the abstract introspection of his early work, to the essential simplicity of his last work in progress. [END] Crafton Hills College (CHC) will hold a celebration of life for Marc Wurmbrand, former art faculty member who passed away last September. The celebration will be held in the CHC Art Gallery on Saturday, April 12, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature an exhibition of Wurmbrand's artwork. Marc Wurmbrand was born and raised in The Bronx, New York. He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Wurmbrand graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University in 1965. The art department at the University of Texas at Austin embraced Wurmbrand’s classically trained talent as well as his unique artistic vision and natural gift for teaching. When Wurmbrand joined the faculty at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), alive with the experimental movements of the late '60s, he said that both colleagues and students were, “cooking with gas,” producing and participating in exciting, boundary blurring work. At UCLA, Wurmbrand participated in restructuring the foundation curriculum of the design department. Later, Wurmbrand left UCLA to teach at San Bernardino Valley College and then moved on to Crafton Hill College to found the art department. During his 35-year tenure there, he would receive honors for Teacher of the Year, warmly offering his talents and passions to generations of students. Wurmbrand brought a wide-open, experiential approach to his teaching and his artwork. Throughout his career Wurmbrand taught with focus, caring, humor and passion. Every student was treated to the full force of his education and expertise. Across 50 years, Marc Wurmbrand participated in shows at Cooper Union, Yale University, University of Texas at Austin, University of California, Los Angeles, San Bernardino Valley College, Crafton Hills College, as well as commercial venues. In a reflection on coming of age as an artist amidst Rothko, DeKooning, Guston, Pollack and Kline, Wurmbrand wrote, “Painting was not about making pictures; it was a journey to another space and time.” This retrospective show represents the depth and breadth of Wurmbrand’s work, spanning the abstract introspection of his early work, to the essential simplicity of his last work in progress. As one of the 112 colleges in the California community college system, Crafton Hills College is committed to providing citizens in the region with an accessible higher education. The philosophy of California's community colleges is that education is the key to better jobs, a better economy, and a better quality of life. CHC offers 37 degree programs and 35 occupational certificate plans. For more information, go to www.craftonhills.edu.