Carol Rose Brown

Carol Rose Brown (née Anderson), born July 15, 1937, Long Island, NY, died September 12th, Albuquerque, NM.

Carol was born to Rose (Ferme) and James Anderson. She wrote about her childhood in her own words, so we won't go into detail here-except to say she endured more than most at a young age and emerged with fierce intelligence and fire for living.

At 16, Carol earned early admission to Cornell University, where she found her voice in the arts. She met her first husband, Dean Brown, at Cornell. Together they traveled and worked-Dean behind the camera, Carol with pen, pencil, charcoal, paintbrushes. Dean died unexpectedly in 1973. Carol, in the wake of deep loss, kept going. She kept painting, kept drawing, kept exploring. She traveled as far as China and also camped without a tent, alone, in the Arizona desert. She found beauty in the way light hit an object; she drew and painted what she saw.

In the late '70s or early '80s, Carol met Jake-another great love. Though their romantic relationship ended, Carol stayed close to his daughter Jackie. Their connection lasted until Carol's final days.

In November 1990, Carol met Howard Schwartz at a friend's 50th birthday party in Manhattan. Both were wearing hats. They noticed each other because of the hats. That same night, Carol met Howard's mother, Ann, and his youngest daughter, Margot. Soon after, she met Laura, his eldest. Carol and Howard married in 1994.

Carol was a prolific, powerful, and unapologetic creator. Her art was shown in galleries across New York, Arizona, New Mexico, and beyond-including internationally. In the early '90s, she received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2003, she and Howard relocated to Santa Fe, where she continued to make meaningful, evocative work.

Carol also sent her friends and family hand-drawn cards-little animals, small sketches-for birthdays, Christmas, New Year's, etc. If you have ever received one, you know how special they were.

She participated in everything from Filipino knife-fighting classes to Zen Buddhist meditation. She was a force-powerful, fierce, compassionate, thoughtful, funny, witty, and reflective.

Carol looked for the interesting and unique in others. She listened. She formed bonds with people all over the world. She especially loved her two grandsons, Zachary and Lucas. She loved them deeply. They made her smile. She saw and valued them for who they are.

Carol left an indelible mark on everyone she knew. And it seemed like she knew almost everyone. She treasured her friends deeply. The connections she made were vital to her. Carol was vital to them. There are too many to name, but if you were one of Carol's friends, we hope you know how much she cared about you. She carried you in her heart.

Carol was always learning, always growing.

Pages could be written about Carol; instead, here is a kitchen sink blend of words & phrases that remind us of Carol: badass, brave, strong, bold, ballroom dancer, cluttered, edgy, reactive, centered, liberal, organic, opinionated, exacting, laughter, intentional, dedicated, ornery, radical, humane, complex, clever, critical, controlling, contemplative, sometimes made things arduous, rare, loving, adventurous, keen, ethical, educated, articulate, adamant, resourceful, conscientious. Carol was all of this and more. She was a gift.