Theodore Bertz is an Ohio native who resided in New England from 1962 to 2006 and is currently a Florida resident. He received his education at Ohio University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from The Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio. He served as Art Director at Digital Equipment Corporation in Massachusetts and 12 years at Xerox Corporation in Connecticut. In 1976 he established his own design studio and has directed design projects for colleges, non-profit organizations and Fortune 50 corporations around the world. He has received numerous awards for his design and artwork.
In 2002 Theodore was inducted into the Connecticut Art Directors Club “Hall of Fame.” The award honors Connecticut individuals who have distinguished themselves in the field of communications, including artists, art directors, illustrators, writers and scholars. “His work is classic and cutting-edge at the same time,” said John Gibson, awards chairperson. “What is unique and very special is his ability to distill very complex information and make it palatable and interesting to the common person.”
At CCAD he studied painting under Edmund Keuhn, Lawrence Williams, Harry Rich and Letta Hess. His paintings are in private collections across the United States as well as internationally and have been exhibited in shows at The Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts and private galleries in Boston and Essex, Connecticut. He is currently exhibiting at J.Gilberts and Main and Hopewell restaurants in Glastonbury, CT and Gallerie Unique in Fort Myers, FL.
His coastal paintings are abstract impressions of light, land and water. They range in locations from Key West to Cape Anne, MA, including the outer banks of the Carolinas. His philosophy is that painting and graphics are basically one and the same. The organization of the space is design. How you portray shapes, color,texture, emotion and energy are the decisions of painting.
Theodore was one of the founding members of the CADC having served on the Board of Directors and many key committees over the years. He participated as both panelist and presenter for programs covering a wide range of topics. Design organizations frequently seek his expertise as a judge of design excellence in prestigious competitions across the country. He has also shared his design philosophy by teaching graphic design as visiting professor at Connecticut College.
The originality and effectiveness of Ted’s artwork has been recognized by a host of organizations, including the Advertising Club of Hartford, the Creative Club of Boston, the New York City Type Director’s Club, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the CADC, the New York Art Director’s Club, CASE, and the University of College Design Boston. Ted has won Best of Show at CADC’s annual awards shows, the Creative Club of Boston, and the ARC Awards. His annual report for United Technologies has also won the Grand Award at ARC. EnterpriseCom, a global organization, ranked Bertz in the top ten designers and has selected his work for a traveling European exhibit.