Born in New York, Ralph Della-Volpe (1924-2017) attended New York City's prestigious National Academy of Design. His art career was briefly interrupted when he served in the Army during World War II. He saw action on Utah Beach during the European invasion, was wounded twice and received the Purple Heart.
Back home after the war, he studied at the Art Students League in New York City for four years, eventually taking a job at Bennett College in Millbrook as a teacher of drawing and painting. The teaching position allowed him time to create his own studio work, and he experimented with an array of styles, from the academic to the abstract. He remained at Bennett College for 28 years and was chairman of its Art Department for a large part of his tenure.
Ralph Della-Volpe
Studios
Alexander
Ralph Della-Volpe worked in the Alexander studio.
Originally designed to be a visual art gallery, this facility was built in memory of the late John White Alexander (1856-1915) and funded by Elizabeth Alexander and their son James. John White Alexander was highly regarded as a portrait painter and, in the early part of the 20th century, served…