Rudolph "Rudy" Otto Pozzatti

Rudolph (Rudy) Otto Pozzatti passed away on Saturday morning, March 27, 2021 in his home at Meadowood Retirement Community surrounded by his family members. Rudy was born in Telluride, Colorado on January 14, 1925 to Mary Mimiolla and Innocente Pozzatti, who had immigrated to the U.S. from Italy early in the 20th Century.

Rudy graduated in 1942 as the valedictorian of Silverton High School in Colorado. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1948 and also a Master of Fine Arts in 1950 from the University of Colorado. His undergraduate studies were interrupted in 1943 when he was inducted to serve in the U.S. Army during the Second World War. He served in the 659th Field Artillery of the 7th Army for three years including combat experience in northern France, Germany and the Battle of the Bulge. Rudy was immensely proud of his military service where he achieved the rank of sergeant.

When he returned from Europe in 1946, he married his childhood sweetheart Dorothy Bassetti. Rudy and Dorothy had known each other since they were five years of age. They were married for 74 years, and they never stopped being in love.

Rudy accepted an Assistant Professorship in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Nebraska in 1954. In 1956, he and his family moved to Bloomington where he established the Printmaking Department in the Indiana University School of Fine Arts following the invitation of the visionary Dr. Henry Hope. Rudy remained at Indiana University for the rest of his academic career, and in 1972 he achieved the rank of Distinguished Professor. Rudy was passionate about teaching and devoted remarkable time and energy to teaching and mentoring. He worked with hundreds of graduate students and thousands of undergraduates during his time at IU. Students came to Indiana University from across the United States to have the opportunity to learn from him and many remained in contact. He retired from IU in 1991. In 2018, as Professor Emeritus, he received The President’s Medal, which is the highest honor that can be bestowed on outstanding faculty at Indiana University.

In 1979, in collaboration with Indiana University he founded and served as the Director of Echo Press in Bloomington. Guest artists came from all over America to have editions of their works printed under the guidance of Rudy’s master printmaking skills, which were and still are regarded as world-class.

Rudy received multiple grants to support his artistic work including two Fulbright Grants, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and awards from the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. He served as a representative of the U.S. State Department for cultural exchange visits to Russia (1961) and the former country Yugoslavia (1965).

Rudy’s artwork is in the permanent collections of over 100 public museums and private collections including: the White House, the Art Institute of Chicago, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, the Library of Congress, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, Cleveland Museum of Art, the Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Yale University Art Museum, the Toronto Museum of Art, the Museum of Art, Sydney, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Pushkin Museum, Moscow.

Rudy is survived by his wife, Dorothy, his five children, Valri Chiappetta (Vince), Rudy Pozzatti Jr. (Mary McCormick), Gina Candelaria (Nick), Mia Williams and Illica Pozzatti, and his grandchildren Jocelyn Olman (Evan), Meghan Wolff (Josh), Jaimee Williams, Rachel LaMonica (Bryan), Anna Pozzatti (Tom Crichton), and his great grandchildren, Ruby, Roxanne, Easton and Kinley.

Rudy’s family wishes to say thank you to his compassionate caregivers, especially Ginny Knowlton, who made sure every day started with as much ease and happiness as possible. They also wish to thank the many friends who enriched Rudy’s and Dorothy’s lives and who kept him in their thoughts and prayers. Thank you to the entire IU Health Hospice Team for their care and support of the Pozzatti family. Rudy will be missed by everyone who knew him.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family requests individuals consider making a donation to the charity of their choice in Rudy’s name.

Online condolences may be given at www.DayDeremiahFrye.com