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Early Life
C. Ronald Bechtle was born on November 14, 1924 in Philadelphia, PA and was raised by his grandfather. He began painting at age nine and continued his passion for art throughout his education in the Philadelphia Public School system. Despite working as an industrial engineer, cost estimator, and design consultant for Philco / Ford Corporation, Bechtle dedicated many hours each day to his art.

Education
After serving in the Army Air Force, Bechtle studied painting at several institutions including Eastern Tennessee University and Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture, the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memoria l, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the School of Industrial Art. He also studied with Benton Spruance from 1952 - 1957.

Career
C. Ronald Bechtle played a crucial role in establishing the Philadelphia Abstract Artists, an artist collective that focused on internal critiques of artwork and exhibitions. From 1957 to 1962, he served as the director of the group and actively participated in all its exhibitions until 1969. Prior to this, Bechtle was a member and President of the collective Group '55, but he eventually grew dissatisfied with the organization and decided to form the Philadelphia Abstract Artists.

Around 1962, Bechtle became disenchanted with the rising popularity of pop art and the increasing emphasis on sales and prices. He believed that this commercialization of art compromised its integrity, causing him distress. Consequently, he gradually withdrew from exhibiting and selling his artwork.

During this period, Bechtle also experienced personal hardships, including the death of his wife and subsequent family disruptions. As a result, he stepped back from his formal involvement with the Philadelphia Abstract Artists. Nonetheless, he remained committed to the belief that painting is a way of life and continued to create art for another 45 years.

Bechtle was renowned for his analytical and cerebral approach to painting. He possessed a well-organized mind, was knowledgeable through extensive reading, and approached art thoughtfully. He had a deep passion for poetry, art, and the serene environment of Seal Harbor, Maine, where he spent most of the year painting from the mid-1960s onward. Bechtle sought to place contemporary art within the context of art history and carved his own path in the modern art world. Despite ceasing to exhibit and sell his work, he remained unwavering in his dedication to his artistic vision, devoting his life to painting.

The art collectives, Group '55 and the Philadelphia Abstract Artists, left a significant impact on the art world, serving as influential centers for abstract art. Bechtle played a vital role in elevating the level of discourse surrounding abstract art, aiming to demonstrate its formidable presence. His papers are now preserved in the Smithsonian's Archive of American Art.

Dated list of current and past exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions


 * Red Door Gallery - 1956 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Red Door Gallery - 1959 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Panoras Gallery - 1966 - New York, NY
 * Santa Barbara Museum of Art - 1967 - Santa Barbara, CA
 * Miami Museum of  Modern Art - 1968 - Miami, FL
 * St. Joseph’s College Gallery - 1970 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Hugo Storelli Gallery - 1970’s - Philadelphia, PA
 * D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts - 1970’s - Springfield, MA
 * Fleisher Memorial - 1970’s - Philadelphia, PA
 * Philadelphia Art Alliance - 1970’s - Philadelphia, PA
 * East Tennessee State University - 1970’s - TN
 * D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts - 2011 / 2013 - Springfield, MA

Group Exhibitions


 * Wallingford Art Center - 1957 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Carlen Gallery - 1957 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Fleisher Art Memorial - 1957 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Parma Gallery - 1958 - New York, NY
 * Tien Hsia Gallery - 1959 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Fleisher Art Memorial - 1960 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Philadelphia Galleries - 1961 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Philadelphia Art Alliance - 1961 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Penn Center Galleries - 1962 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts - 1965 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Fleisher Art Memorial - 1969 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts - 1969 - Philadelphia, PA
 * National Design Center - 1960’s - New York, NY
 * New Britain Museum of Art - 2010 - New Britain, CT
 * Woodmere Art Museum - 2020 - Philadelphia, PA
 * Springfield Art Museum - 2021 - Springfield, MO

Museums
Listed below are museums and institutions which hold the work of C. Ronald Bechtle in their permanent collections. Approximately 565 paintings and drawings are identified in the artists papers to reside in the permanent collections of museums. In addition, the artist’s personal notes identify approximately 75 private individual collectors who hold the works of Mr. Bechtle in their collections. In 2020 the Woodmere Art Museum acquired 4 of the artists works for their permanent collection.


 * 1) Ackland Art Museum, Univ. of NC - NC
 * 2) Akron Museum - OH
 * 3) Atlanta Museum - GA
 * 4) Bates College Museum of Art - ME
 * 5) Blanton Museum of Art, Univ. of Texas - TX
 * 6) Bowdoin College Museum of Art - ME
 * 7) Burpee Museum - IL
 * 8) Butler Institute of American Art - OH
 * 9) Carnegie Institute Museum of Art - PA
 * 10) Carol Reese Museum, East Tenn. University - TN
 * 11) Chazen Museum of Art, Univ. of Wisconsin - WI
 * 12) Colby College Museum of Art - ME
 * 13) Columbus Museum of Art - OH
 * 14) D’Amour Museum of Fine Art - MA
 * 15) Denver Museum of Art - CO
 * 16) Des Moines Museum of Art - IA
 * 17) Everson Museum of Art - NY
 * 18) Herron Art Museum - IN
 * 19) High Museum of Art - GA
 * 20) Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College - NH
 * 21) Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University - NY
 * 22) Lehigh University Art Galleries - PA
 * 23) Maguire Art Museum, St. Joseph’s Univ. - PA
 * 24) Mead Museum, Amherst College - MA
 * 25) Miami Museum of Art - FL
 * 26) Mint Museum - NC
 * 27) Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth - TX
 * 28) Munsun-Williams-Parker Arts Institute - NY
 * 29) Museum of Modern Art - San Palo, Brazil
 * 30) Nasher Museum of Art, Duke University - NC
 * 31) National Collection of Fine Art - DC
 * 32) Neuberger Museum of Art, SUNY - NY
 * 33) New Britain Museum of American Art - CT
 * 34) Newport Art Museum - RI
 * 35) Norton Museum of Art - FL
 * 36) Philbrook Museum - OK
 * 37) Phoenix Art Museum - AZ
 * 38) Portland Museum of Art - ME
 * 39) Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University - MA
 * 40) Saginaw Art Museum - MI
 * 41) San Diego Museum of Art - CA
 * 42) Santa Barbara Museum of Art - CA
 * 43) Sheldon Museum of Art, Univ. of Kansas - KN
 * 44) Skinner Museum of Art, Mt. Holyoke Univ. - MA
 * 45) Smithsonian American Art Museum – DC
 * 46) Snite Museum of Art, Notre Dame Univ. - IN
 * 47) Spencer Museum of Art, Univ. of Kansas - KN
 * 48) Springfield Museum - MA
 * 49) Springfield Art Museum - MO
 * 50) Syracuse University Art Museum - NY
 * 51) Tweed Museum, Univ. of Minn - MN
 * 52) University of Arizona - AZ
 * 53) University of California, Santa Barbara - CA
 * 54) University of Maryland - MD
 * 55) University of New Hampshire - NH
 * 56) University Museum, UMASS - MA
 * 57) Weisman Art Museum, Univ. of Minnesota - MN
 * 58) Wichita Art Museum - KN
 * 59) Weatherspoon Art Museum - UNC Greensboro, NC
 * 60) William Benton Museum of Art, UCONN - CT
 * 61) Woodmere Art Museum - PA
 * 62) Zilman Art Museum, Univ. of Maine - ME
 * 63) Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers Univ. - NJ