Grace Renzi

Grace Renzi (September 9, 1922 – June 4, 2011), married name Grace Kantuser, was an American painter. Renzi graduated from Queens College and from the Cooper Union Art School, New York City. In 1953, she relocated to Paris, France where she lived for the rest of her life. Grace Renzi was a painter, and a printmaker. Her art is part of collections (public or private) and galleries, and has been exhibited throughout the world in solo shows, group shows, and 'salons' on a regular basis. She was married to the composer Božidar Kantušer. She is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Grace Renzi was born on September 9, 1922, in New York, in the borough of Queens, very close to the East River. She was the last of the eleven children of Michael (Michelangelo) Renzi and his wife Lucy, born Lucia Viscusi. The parents, both from farmer families from the Province of Benevento in Italy, had settled in New York around 1900. The mother was a housewife and the father a laborer. In 1923, the family moved near Belmont Park, still in Queens. The Great Depression did not affect Renzi too much and she enjoyed an education followed by her older sisters, several of whom were teachers. Renzi had the opportunity to draw and paint at will since childhood, which she devoted herself to. She was always an excellent pupil and received scholarships throughout her education. In 1940, at the age of eighteen, Renzi entered Cooper Union. After one year at Cooper, she decided in 1941 to study first at Queens College, where she worked for instance with Vaclav Vytlacil, and Robert Goldwater in the history of art. In 1944, Renzi graduated cum laude. After the end of World War II, Renzi returned to Cooper Union where she studied notably with Mrs and Mr Harrison, Morris Kantor and Nicholas Marsicano. She graduated in 1948, cum laude, and also took advantage of Hans Hofmann's teaching, though briefly. Renzi exhibited in shows and group exhibitions, especially in New York (see the hidden box at the bottom of the page).