Obituaries

Harvey Breverman, SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus and internationally renowned artist and educator, died on Sept. 3. He was 90.

Breverman began his incredible 60-year tenure at UB in July 1961 as an instructor in the Department of Art. A key figure in the department, Breverman was beloved for his grounded experiences as a practicing artist, as well as his lifelong devotion to his students.

During his time teaching and making art at UB, Breverman taught, and was invited to be a visiting artist, at numerous U.S. universities, including Illinois State, Indiana, Maryland Institute, Michigan, Ohio University, Skidmore and William and Mary, as well as international university such as Oxford University's Ruskin School, England; Pont Aven School of Art, France; and Jagiellonian University, Poland.

Throughout his career, Breverman received numerous awards and honors. A member of the National Academy since 1993, he received the Ralph Fabri Prize, the Leo Meissner Prize, the first Benjamin Altman Figure Painting Prize and the Adolph and Clara Obrig Prize in Painting.

In 2003, he was awarded the Distinguished Teaching of Art Award from the College Art Association. This prestigious, national award is presented to “an artist of distinction who has developed a philosophy or technique of instruction based on their experience as an artist; has encouraged their students to develop their own individual abilities; and/or has made some contribution to the body of knowledge loosely called theory and understood as embracing technical, material, aesthetic and perceptual issues.”

Breverman received an MFA from Ohio University and BFA from Carnegie Mellon University. He had exhibited all over the world, including in New York, Toronto, London, Amsterdam, Oslo, Paris, Bologna, Moscow, Basel, Barcelona, Cracow, Belgrade, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Honolulu, Tokyo, Caracas and Rio de Janeiro. His works are in the collections of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, The British Museum, Burchfield-Penney Art Center, The Israel Museum, Library of Congress, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modem Art, National Academy Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Whitney Museum of American Art.

Breverman retired from UB in May of 2005 and as part of his retirement celebrations, more than 200 paintings, drawings and prints were on view at the UB Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts and UB Anderson Gallery from Oct. 1, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2004. The collection, “Harvey Breverman: Humanist Impulses, Selected Paintings, Drawings, Prints,” was his 85th solo exhibition.

After his retirement, he continued to be involved with the university as an emeritus faculty member. In 2021 he was recognized by UB for his 60 years of service. In addition to his expertise in the creation and teaching of art, his philanthropic efforts also made an impact at UB. Breverman and his wife, Deborah, established the “Harvey and Deborah Breverman Visiting Artist Fund.” On a regular basis, the art department invites a Breverman Visiting Artist to come to campus and use UB’s facilities for artmaking, while engaging with students. These artists create new works and encourage intellectual discourse with students.

His positive impact and inspiration also extended to his fellow faculty members. “When I arrived to begin teaching at UB in 2000, Harvey seemed to intuit that I might be a tad nervous about this new position and reached out so warmly to welcome me and advise me about things UB and the department,” recounts Reinhard Reitzenstein, professor and director of the sculpture program in the Department of Art. “I’m from Canada and was already well aware of Harvey’s brilliant work and his stellar career. He quickly became a mentor and friend, and I was substantially more at ease thanks to his kindness.  

“We had several mutual artists friends in common, so our conversations were always animated and riddled with many stories,” Reitzenstein adds. “Harvey was also an exemplary teacher and watching him in action motivating and energizing young minds became an inspiration, and I have consistently incorporated many of his strategies and approaches.”

The Department of Art, along with the UB Art Galleries and local art institutions, plan to host a joint memorial for the campus and local art community at a later date.

To learn more about Breverman and his art, watch an interview at his studio with the Buffalo Society of Arts.