Arnold Skolnick Obituary

Arnold H. Skolnick

Northampton, MA — Arnold Skolnick Passed away on June 15, 2022 in Amherst, MA at age 85. He had been living in the Pioneer Valley for ~52 years. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Arnold showed early artistic talent, attending the High School of Music and Art and then Pratt Institute of Art, and mentored at the Art Students League in NYC studying under Edwin Dickinson. He worked in advertising for 20 years (including at Young and Rubicam) and later as a freelance book designer and producer, winning "Best 50 Books of the Year" awards three years in a row. Arnold was an award-winning multimedia designer of print and TV advertising, books, museum catalogs, posters, film titles, films, photography exhibitions, logos, trademarks, typefaces, and much more. Arnold's art book companies published on under-appreciated 20th century artists and on art topics close to his heart, such as the art of Maine and many of the artists that painted there. He also illustrated children's books with drawings, paintings, and photography.

Arnold's most famous creation was the poster used for the 1969 Woodstock music festival. Hating busy psychedelic art, he used Matisse-styled cut paper with a few solid bold colors to get the message across, to create the Woodstock poster. The image of the bird, the hand, and the guitar has become one of the most iconic images from the 1960s and one of the most famous poster images in popular culture worldwide. Another iconic image he created was a lemon on car wheels for the cover of Ralph Nader's 1971 book, "What to do with your Bad Car," which helped launch the idea of poorly made cars as lemons.

Arnold spent his life painting and drawing, having his first major gallery showing in 1976 in NYC and subsequent shows of his paintings, drawings, and photographs, in NYC, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine up until this year.

His love of classical music was infamous, as were his stories, laughs, and gargantuan art book collection. Besides his family and the women in his life, Arnold loved his dogs, the Chesterfield Gorge, budding flowers, art museums everywhere, going to Italy for Renaissance art in situ, the Maine coast, and books about art, philosophy, history, and Moby Dick. He was interesting, kind, generous (sometimes to a fault), funny, opinionated, and had a knack for bringing new people into his circle.

Arnold is survived by his beloved children, Alexander Skolnick (Pamela Tannenbaum), Philadelphia, and Peter Skolnick, Turners Falls, MA, and his adored grandchildren, Mose, and Charna Skolnick. He is also survived by his sister, Helene Rothschild, San Jose, CA; nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and many friends.

A memorial is planned for Tuesday, July 12, at 4PM, Garden House Tent at Look Park, Florence, MA. Zoom link will be available from Ahearn Funeral Home for those out of town wishing to join. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Chesterfield Gorge through the Trustees of Reservations.

Ahearn Funeral Home

(413)587-0044