Farrell Reuben Collett was born in Bennington, Idaho in 1907. Collett was an academic realist whose work reflected national trends in realism and illustrative styles of representation. Collett passed away in 2000.

Collett received his early art training at Brigham Young University and at the University of Utah. He worked as freelance illustrator from 1933 to 1938. He studied in at the California School of Fine Arts in 1934, and at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1935, and 1937, and at the American Academy of Art in 1938. In 1946 he began his teaching career at Weber State College; he retired in 1976 after 30 years teaching.

Collett received awards for his work including, the purchase prize for a portrait at the Springville Art Annual in 1954 and the Governor's Award for Art. His work was exhibited in a one-man show at the Museum of Natural History. Elk in a Winter Landscapeand Winter Sortie (2000) are examples of his work.

Biography adapted from Artists of Utah.

Farrell Collett of Provo, Ogden, St. George, Utah is a well-known Utah illustrator, painter and educator. A native of Bennington, Idaho, he went to Brigham Young University for early art training and then became a free lance illustrator in Provo from 1933 to 1938. Collett spent summer sessions at California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco (1934), and in Chicago at the Art Institute (1935,1937) and the American Academy of Art (1938). He became a high school art instructor in Ogden in 1938, and then joined the art staff of Weber College in 1939. In 1954, he won a purchase prize for a portrait at Springville Annual, continued at Weber through 1950s into the 1970s, was appointed art chair there, and found recognition as a very capable painter of animals and landscape pictures. His work was exhibited in the 1970s at the Utah Museum of Natural History in a one-man show, as well as other places, and he eventually became a recipient of Governor's Award in Arts. Today, Collett is still an active painter of animals.

Biography courtesy of Artists of Utah

Newspaper Articles

"Art Canvass." The Deseret News, December 30, 1990.

"Linger Awhile To Savor 3 New Art Exhibits." The Deseret News, January 13, 1991.

"Park City Galleries Change With Season." The Deseret News, October 22, 1989.

"Wildlife Fair To Feature Art, Debate, Clinics." The Deseret News, April 23, 1992.

Books

Dunbier, Lonnie P. ed. The Artists Bluebook: 29,000 North American Artists. Scottsdale, AZ: AskART.com, 2003.

Olpin, Robert S., William C. Seifrit, and Vern G. Swanson. Artists of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1999.

Springville Museum of Art. Permanent Collection Catalog. Springville, UT: Springville Museum of Art, 1972.

Swanson, Vern G., Robert S. Olpin, and William C. Seifrit, Utah Painting and Sculpture. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1991.