History of Theodore M. Wassmer
Utah's oldest painter still working
in his 95th + year

1910 -

Born to Theodore James and Hester Hall Wassmer February 23rd. The eldest of eight children. Salt Lake City, Utah.

1936-1939

Worked three years with Florence Ware, posing and painting in backgrounds on the Kingsbury Hall Murals at the University of Utah. They were a Judy Farnsworth Lund Works Project Administration Depression era project.

1942-1945

Enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps. While at Sheppard Field, Texas, painted several murals in his spare time for the recreation building, depicting war activities.

1945-1985

Married Judy Farnsworth Lund in New York City. They studied four years at the Art Student's League. Among their teachers was the famous Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Ted also studied two years with Raphael Soyer. They both painted portraits in their Carnegie Hall studio before moving to Woodstock, New York. They not only painted and exhibited paintings but traded and purchased Art for the next 40 years in that vicinity.

1985-2003

Returning to Salt Lake City, they donated over 1,500 pieces of Art and sculpture to five major Art Museums, along with their 1,700 volumes on Art and Literature. After 50 years of marriage, Judy died of a stroke at age 84 in 1996.

2000

Received the Michael O. Leavitt Governor's Award, with a Special Citation along with Robert Redford.

2004 -

At age 94, warding off old age by expressing himself, experimenting.

2005

Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. and Mayor Rocky Anderson proclaimed February 23rd, 2005 as "Theodore Milton Wassmer Day." Ted at age 95 looks upon each new day as a GIFT, with many new discoveries yet to unfold in life and in creativity.