Allen Novak

I was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1949. My mother, Betty, was a housewife and an excellent artist and my father, Albert, was chief engineer at the local radio station, WAJR. We lived there until my father died in 1959 and my mother moved us to Bradenton, Florida to be near my grandparents. I graduated from Manatee High School in 1967. I started college as a major in mathematics at Manatee Junior College, changed my major to fine arts and graduated with my AA degree in 1969. On to University of Florida, I majored in painting. My favorite professor was Hiram Williams who I grew to admire. I especially liked his fireside talks on artists. He would tell all sorts of stories and facts about an artist without ever mentioning his/her name. Curiosity sent us scurrying to the library to find out who he was talking about. I had my senior show with my roommate, John Hawver, at Manatee Junior College and graduated in 1971. Influenced by my draft number and confused about where to go next, I enlisted in the Air Force. Bad eyesight prevented my being an officer, so I asked for medical laboratory assistant. I got computer operator. When it came to picking a place to be assigned, I chose anywhere overseas. I got San Antonio, Kelly A...

BFA, University of Florida, 1971
MLS University of South Florida, 1979

Ringling College of Art & Design annual Staff Exhibitions 1982-1985
Ringling College of Art & Design annual Faculty Exhibitions 1986-2015