David Russo won the Stephen David Epstein Memorial Art Scholarship which included a year with Picasso.
      When asked about his year as National Boy of the Year, he said, “I met a lot of great people: governors, senators, movie stars, even the President of the United States, but to be the pupil of Picasso, now that’s the greatest of all.”

About the Artist

     I started painting when I was five years old. My mother gave me my first paints. She bought watercolors, the brushes and a really cheap pad of paper. But, she had no idea what kind of materials to use, and I had no idea of how to use them.
     I remember how fascinated my parents were with my first paintings—I’d found my first love!
     In the late 1940s I was selected as the Boys Club of America; “Boy of the Year.” Because of my art talent and community service, I was selected from a group of more than 300,000 boys. I had also won a scholarship to the San Francisco College of Arts. I took Saturday classes and night class while still in high school.
     While in high school I won the Stephen David Epstein Memorial Scholarship. As the first recipient, I could study anywhere in the world for one year; I chose to study in Paris with Picasso.
     During the time I spent with Picasso, I stayed at his home and studio in France, I traveled with him, observed the master at work, and received instruction from him in various art forms and styles.
     When I returned home, I was asked about my year as the “National Boy of the Year,” I said “I met a lot of great people; governors, senators, movie stars, and even the President of the United States, but to be the student of Picasso, now that’s the greatest of all.”
     I went on to college and received a Master’s of Art degree from San Francisco State, a Masters in Physical Education from University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in art from Stanford University.
     I then worked in the California college system as an art instructor and coach until I retired in 1985.
     I love painting…. So in any of my artworks, I feel that an artist must be in his work as God is in creation.

Curriculum Vitae

Education
Ph.D. Stanford University
MA University of Southern California
MA San Francisco State
BA San Francisco State

Honors
2001 Placerville Art Association
2000 Charles Mitchalls Art Exhibition
1998 Best of Show, Sacramento Fine Arts Center
1992 Art of California Discovery Award, Bronze Medalist
1990 Boy’s Club of America Hall of Fame
1961 Fulbright Scholarship (Italy)
1949 Boy’s Club of America, Boy of the Year
1947 Stephen David Epstein Memorial Scholarship, (Paris)

Exhibitions
Winestine Gallery, San Francisco ONGOING
Richardson Gallery, Reno ONGOING
Senior Center, South Lake Tahoe ONGOING
Pogan Gallery, Tahoe City
Hunter Gallery, San Francisco
Maxwell Gallery, San Francisco
San Francisco State, Faculty Show
Stanford University, Faculty Show
California State Hayward, Faculty Show

Collections
Mural, 27’ x 45’, Columbia Park Boys/Girls Club,
San Francisco
Margaret Whiting
Virginia Mayo
Betty Hutton
William Bendix
Peter Wawford
Joseph Cotton
Barbara Streisand, Commissioned Portrait and Album Cover