View of an Abstract Landscape by Jason Berger (MA, 1924-2010), pastel on artist paper, circa mid to late 20th Century, loose - 12" x 9" 
 
Jason Berger was a Boston landscape painter, connected to Boston Expressionism. He painted from nature, en plein air, and used favorite motifs in abstract paintings, referred to as "studio paintings". He also enjoyed woodcuts which were predominantly printed in black and white. Berger received a full scholarship to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston in 1941. Karl Zerbe, the principle painting teacher at the school, thought Berger and his classmates, Reed Kay, Jack Kramer, David Aronson, and George Sheridan were among his best students. World War II interrupted Berger's college education with three years in the Army. Returning from the war, he graduated in 1948. Afterwards, with a traveling scholarship awarded by the School of the Museum of Fine Art, Berger went to Europe with his first wife, the painter Marilyn Powers. In addition to the European Traveling Fellowship, Berger received several awards, including the Grand Prize for Painting from Jacques Lipchitz at the Boston Arts Festival in 1956 and the Clarissa Bartlett Traveling Award in 1957. While in France, Berger studied with cubist sculptor Ossip Zadkine in Paris and frequented Georges Braque's studio. Upon his return to the United States, Berger began teaching first at Mount Holyoke College (1955), and then enjoyed a long tenure teaching at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1956–69). He taught briefly at Wellesley College (1957–59), The State University of New York at Buffalo (1969–70) and The Metropolitan College at Boston University (1971–72). Until his retirement, he taught at The Art Institute of Boston (1973–88).  A prolific painter, Berger began exhibiting while still a student with Boris Mirski Gallery and Swetzoff Gallery, as well as the Institute of Modern Art (now Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston). The latter gave him a solo exhibition in 1950. He has also exhibited in a number of museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago; MoMA; Addison Gallery of American Art; Danforth Museum of Art; DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park; Fitchburg Museum of Art; Smith College Museum of Art; and, Worcester Museum of Art. He also exhibited widely in France, Mexico and Portugal.Berger's work can be found in the permanent collections of many institutions which include: MoMA; Guggenheim Museum; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Danforth Museum of Art; Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts; Rose Art Museum; Simmons College; Smith College Museum of Art; and The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum.