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Leslie Farrell Concannon

Leslie Farrell Concannon K'76

Jun. 22, 1954-May. 18, 2020

An accomplished artist, Leslie Farrell Concannon K’76 especially loved plein air painting. “I trudge through fields, balance at water’s edge, and wander through gardens to set up my easel,” she wrote on her professional website. “I paint plein air to be outside and be present with what the day has to offer. I’m interested in how the ordinary world is revealed by light. By the very nature of painting outside with ever-­shifting light I’m there to respond to a moment before it disappears. I’m fascinated by how putting down pigment and wiping it away can reflect that experience.”

Concannon, of Riverdale, N.Y., and Wilton, Conn., died on May 18, 2020, at the age of 65. She was an educator as well as an artist, and held graduated degrees from the Boston Museum School and Queens College.

She was born on June 22, 1954, in Pasadena, Calif., the daughter of Catherine and Edward Concannon, a business executive. She attended Greens Farms Academy in Westport, Conn., then went to Kirkland College, where she majored in art. “I received an amazing arts education at Kirkland,” she once wrote in a note to the College. “I can still hear Bruce saying, ‘Make a commitment. Make a commitment’ and I’m still trying.” She apparently was referring to Professor of Art Emeritus Bruce Muirhead.

A published obituary spoke of how Concannon had belonged to an artists’ ­collective, meeting with the group weekly in Old Saybrook, Conn., where she enjoyed painting with her cairn terrier, Henry. She showed her work through Gallery One and also exhibited through her art studio, ­Wilson Avenue Loft Artists in South ­Norwalk, Conn. She took part in many other shows, including at Hamilton in 1986.

Concannon’s career took her to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where she worked as an illustrator, and she also worked as a graphic designer and in art education and development at Studio in a School. In 2004, she began a career in the New York City public schools as an art teacher. Most recently she taught at Grant Avenue Elementary School, where she worked for nine years. She was an active member of the Saugatuck Shores Club, where she painted and relaxed with family and friends.

Concannon is survived by her mother, sister, nephew, and cousins.

Necrology Home

Note: Memorial biographies published prior to 2004 will not appear on this list.



Necrology Writer and Contact:
Christopher Wilkinson '68
Email: Chris.Wilkinson@mail.wvu.edu

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