DeForrest H. Judd, a native of Hartsgrove, Ohio, lived most of his life in Dallas working as an artist and teaching at Southern Methodist University. Judd’s keen observation of everyday life and nature influenced him to paint, draw, and print his interpretations onto canvas, paper, and copper enamels. As a professional artist and teacher, Judd taught numerous students at SMU and at summer workshops in Arkansas, New Mexico, and Texas.
The DeForrest Judd art work and papers were donated to the Bywaters Special Collections in 1993 by his wife, Mrs. Mary Belle Judd. SMU's Bywaters Special Collections are part of SMU's Hamon Arts Library. A finding aid to the collection is available in the Texas Archival Resources Online.
The DeForrest Judd Sketchbooks digital collection includes a sample of sketches from the nine sketchbooks held by SMU. The sketchbooks concentrate on Judd’s trips to Colorado, the Gulf Coast, Caddo Lake, Mexico, New Mexico, the Big Bend and the Hill Country in Texas.
Judd’s work reflects his study of nature: mountains, lakes, rocks, flowers, cactus, buildings, and scenes of everyday life that were painted or drawn in a semi-abstract form that made bold use of color.
Judd received numerous awards for his work, and while teaching at SMU his work was featured in many one-man shows in Texas including the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts (1946), Southern Methodist University (1950, 1965, 1969, 1981), Elizabet Ney Museum (1952), Sul Ross State College (1957), Texas Tech Museum (1959), Fort Worth Art Center (1962), and the Beaumont Museum of Art (1971). His work was also exhibited in art centers and museum exhibitions around the country including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (one of twelve artists selected for the exhibition American Painting Today, 1950), Denver Art Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. Judd’s work was also accepted into the permanent collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, and Southern Methodist University.
Usage: The files in this collection are protected by copyright law. No commercial reproduction or distribution of these files is permitted without the written permission of Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries. These files may be freely used for educational purposes, provided they are not altered in any way, and Southern Methodist University is cited.
Contact Info: For more information about the DeForrest Judd Sketchbooks at SMU’s Hamon Arts Library (including how to cite the works), please write to ncds@smu.edu.