Don Snell Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1922 - d. 2014

Don Snell (1922-2014)

He received his BFA from the the University of Texas Department of Fine Art and studied under such legendary teachers as Everett Spruce, William Lester, Michael Frary and Ralph White. He did postgraduate studies at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Soon after graduating Snell began teaching and taught at Tulane University, Arlington State College in Arlington, Texas and the University of Houston, Houston, Texas.

During a career that has spanned almost fifty-five years, he has received many awards and purchase prizes including those from the Greater Austin (Texas) Chamber of Commerce, the Delgado Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana, Tucson (Arizona) Fine Arts Center, Beaumont (Texas) Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas (Texas) Museum of Fine Arts, Drawing Show, Dallas (Texas) Museum of Fine Arts, and the Texas State Fair Exhibition.

In a personal artist statement, Snell summed up his thoughts on life and his career thusly: "It was never my intention to be an artist. But I read Lust for Life. The idea of drawing naked females was of great interest to me. Besides I had no marketable skills so I took the vow of poverty and became an artist.

Having said that, I must note that my first life career choice was acting. My problem was that I don't work well with other people. I solved one problem with my camera. Females would without hesitation pose nude. I played to their vanity. So far my career has been uneventful. But when you consider I am 85 and still producing great works of art, things have not been all that bad."

His awards and recognitions are many and include the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, Texas, and the Texas Fine Art Association, Austin, Texas. Snell was also the winner of the Regional Competition, at the Exhibition of Local and Regional Artists at the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Snell's show list includes the The Howard Gallery, Cultural Arts Center, Temple, Texas, Gallery Lombardi, Austin, Texas, Saulsbury Gallery, Artisana Gallery, Dallas, Texas, The Gallery in City Hall, Bucharest, Romania, Little Egypt Gallery, Houston, Texas O'Kane Gallery of the University of Houston, Texas, Covo de Iongh Gallery, Houston, Texas (Photography), Delgado Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana, The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, Austin, Texas, The Amarillo Museum of Art, Amarillo, Texas, Austin Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria, Austin, Texas and The Skyline Gallery, Austin, Texas.


Snell lived in Georgetown, Texas and continued working in his studio and gallery. He passed away on Monday, January 6, 2014.