This biography from the Archives of AskART:
|  Andrew Dagosta was born in Omaha, Nebraska. As a young child, he
was a movie fan with cowboy movies his favorites. Cowboy heroes
and the Wild West captured his imagination. He spent Saturday afternoon
watching movies of Gene Autry, Hoot Gibson, Buck Jones, Randolph Scott
and Bob Steel. He studied illustration and received his formal
art training during four years at Omaha Tech in Omaha, Nebraska.
When World War II raged, he served in Italy with the 12th Air
Force. The end of the war the Dagosta moved to Glendale,
California in 1946 to follow his passion to be an artist. There
he enrolled at the Hollywood Art Center, completing a two-year program,
and then opened a commercial advertising art studio in Pasadena,
California.
Dagosta’s love for the Old West gravitated him to other western
artists. He collaborated with Lloyd Mitchell on projects, and he
continued his art studies with Reynolds Brown. He co-founded “The
American Indian and Cowboy Artists” and is a lifetime member. In
1968 he joined “Los Angeles Corral of Westerners”.
During this same time he started oil painting for pleasure and did
pictures that reflected his Western research, which included cattle
brands, clothing, guns, saddles, stirrups, cookware, architecture and
buildings. The artist studied details, so that his art reflected
not only the time and place, but also the function in Old West
reality. He also documented the Old West and desert through
photography.
The artist won first place, two times in the “Death Valley 49er
Encampment Show”. In 1975 he was acknowledged in an article
published in the “Desert” and is listed in Contemporary Western Artists, by Peggy and Harold Samuels.
Dagosta illustrated the Water Trails West, published by Double
Day for the Western Writers of America. Los Angeles Corral of
Westerners, who publishes Brand Books, used his work as their featured
artist for three books. In 2000, Dagosta was working on 16 line
drawings of California ranchers for Brand Book No. 20. The University of Nebraska Press, Bison Books used two of his paintings as book covers for I Fought With Geronimo and The Apache Indian.
In 2000 his watercolor, Omaha’s Famous Old Town Market, was
donated to the Omaha Public Schools. This painting depicts the
street and stairway that lead to the market stall of the Dagosta's
uncle, John Destefino, who was called “John the Celery Man” because of
his quality produce.
Dagosta’s works are held internationally in England, France, Japan, Lichtenstein, Majorca, and the United States.
References:
Peggy and Harold Samuels, Contemporary Western Artists, 1982, Washington DC, Judd’s Inc.
Undated and titled article published on reverse of watercolor
Copyright January 2007 Janet G. Smith
Submitted by Janet G. Smith, art consultant, art historian, art
authenticator and independent curator,
www.jgsart.com.
Added note:
Andy Dagosta passed away on May 28, 2009 in Glendale, California.
Source: Beth Bisping
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