Biography
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1903
Born Donald Cecil Totten on August 13th in Vermillion, South Dakota, the youngest of Samuel and Jenny Totten's four children.
ca. 1921
Totten family moves to Long Beach, California
1922
Graduates from Long Beach Polytechnic High School and attends the University of Southern California for a year studying pre-law and journalism.
1923
Develops and interest in painting, and transfers to Otis Art Institute, Los Angeles, California. Studies with Roscoe Schrader and Edward Vysekal.
1924
During summer job on railroad has a serious accident, and is left with a permanent limp.
1926
Completes his studies at Otis Art Institute.
1929
Attends classes at the Los Angeles Art Student's League until 1933, studying under Stanton Macdonald-Wright and James Redmond. Later teaches at the League (for two years) and becomes its director.
ca. 1933
Travels to Australia via Hawaii and the Fiji Islands, as piano player in the ship's orchestra on a Mason Liner. Later incorporates Pacific Rim themes into First Methodist Church mural (begun in 1953).
1940
Assists Helen Lundeberg with the colors on Federal Art Project petrachrome mural titled "History of Transportation" at Centinella Park, Inglewood, California.
1941
Assists Helen Lundeberg with the colors on Federal Art Project petrachrome mural titled "George Washington" at George Washington High School, Los Angeles, Californian.
ca. 1941
Posthumous portrait of Mrs. Nellie L. Waite for the Federal Art Project, N.L. Waite Elementary School, Norwalk California.
ca. 1941
Assists, along with Stanton Macdonald-Wright, on Hideo Date's Federal Arts Project mural at the Japanese School on Terminal Island, San Pedro, California. Date had been sent to a World War Two Japanese internment camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming.
1936
Assists James Redmond with Treasury Relief Art Project mural titled "Early California" for Compton Post Office, California. The mural, which is oil on canvas, was painted at the Art Students' League and later installed at the post office.
1937
Assigned Federal arts Project mural at Grant Elementary School, Pasadena, California, titled "Wagnerian Ring" (now destroyed).
1938
Member of artist team responsible for Federal Arts Project tile mosaic, originally located on the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium facade (now at the Long Beach Promenade) titled "Long Beach Recreation."
ca. 1939
Assigned Federal Arts Project mural at Manual Arts High School, Los Angeles, California, titled "Development of Science" (now destroyed?).
ca 1941
Assists, along with Jerre Murray, on Fletcher Martin's Federal Art Project mural (on canvas) sent to Boise, Idaho (possibly for the Ada County Courthouse, project never completed}.
1942
Stops painting and travels to Port Townsend, Washington, for a year.
1943
Returns to Los Angeles, marries Eva May Ferguson in July, and resumes painting.
1947
Begins murals located in the Youth Center of the Holliston Avenue Methodist Church, Pasadena, California.
1948
Teaches at the Barnsdall Arts and Craft Center, Hollywood, California (for the next 10 years).
ca. 1950
Studio built at Totten residence on Hoover Street, Los Angeles.
ca. 1953
Begins mural art the First Methodist Church, Oakland, California, titled "The People of the Pacific Basin" (completed 1955 but distroyed by fire in 1982).
1959 - 1964
Exhibits in 16 venues in Southern California during this period, as listed in the Exhibition section of this website.
1961
Teaches painting, drawing and art history class at Marymount College, Palos Verdes, California until the summer of 1964 (recommended for position by Stanton Macdonald-Wright).
1963
Teaches art history classes at the University of California, Los Angeles, (extension courses) beginning in September. Paul Plummer Galleries destroyed by fire; subsequently represented by the Ryder Gallery. Los Angeles.
1964
Interview with the Archives of American Art representative, Betty Hoag, on May 28, 1964
Solo show at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, California, which opened on June 9, 1964.
Suffers a massive stroke on June 17, 1964, which ends his career.
1967
Don dies on October 29th in Long Beach, California, after a series of additional strokes.