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Biography
Don Maitz

A native of Plainville, CT, Maitz showed an early interest in drawing and received initial art training from the Famous Artist's Correspondence School at age 13 and later attended the Paier School of Art, Hamden, CT graduating with honors. The school offered a fifth year study program where Maitz honed his portfolio and took additional classes. The student work Maitz produced at the Paier School hung at the Society of Illustrators Student Exhibition which was later reproduced by New York City publishing houses as book jackets and magazine covers. This led to over tow hundred commissions from numerous book publishers, and a list of the most prestigious art awards in the industry.

Don's works have been a favorite installment in public exhibitions including; the South Florida Museum, Bradenton, FL; the North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, NC; the Maritime Museum, Newport News, VA; the Door County Maritime and Lighthouse Museum in Sturgeon Bay, WI; the Oshkosh Public Museum, Oshkosh, WI; the San Diego Maritime Museum, CA (aboard the museum bark, STAR OF INDIA); the Orlando History Museum, Orlando, FL, the Biggs Museum f American Art, Dover, DE; the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, MD and currently the Naval & Military Park Museum, Buffalo, NY; The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT where he won an Award of Excellence in the 2006 International Marine Art Exhibition. Maitz is a signature member of ASMA.

Odyssey Marine Explorations' presentation, "Shipwrecks, Pirates, and Treasure Exhibition", with ten Maitz images has been hosted at Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) Tampa, Fl; the Science Museum, Detroit, MI; The Science Museum of Oklahoma; and North Carolina's Discovery Place. Ripley's Believe It or Not Aquarium of the Smokey's in Gatlin, Tennessee incorporated his art in their "Predators of the Sea" exhibit. A one man show of fifty original works went on public display at the Key West Museum of Art & History and traveled on to the Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg, FL.

Don has crewed three times from points in Florida to locations in the Bahamas on private sailboats and honeymooned aboard a Windjammer Cruise to the British Virgin Islands. The inspirational voyages have added fuel to the imaginative maritime oil paintings that portray 17th century sea rovers.

Maitz's art has been published on book covers, magazines, in art book collections and has graced licensed products. His works have appeared in National Geographic Society publications and on the History Channel. Maitz originated the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum character and has worked as a conceptual artist for motion pictures. Original art by Maitz is in the collection of the Delaware Art Museum and the New Britain Museum of American Art. His works are in private collections of best selling authors, film and television personalities, including the Dean at the University of Maryland.