La Trelle Brewster

BREWSTER, La Trelle

La Trelle Brewster, whose life from an early age intertwined nature and art, died in her home in Atlanta on April 10. Brewster, who was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2022, died peacefully with her cousin, Brian Carver, by her side.

Brewster was born in 1941 to Joe and Trella Brewster of McDonough and Warner Robins, Georgia. A lithe and somewhat feral child, she was raised with freedom to explore the woods and waters of Henry County. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 1963, subsequently moving to Boston, where she studied studio art and worked in galleries. There she met and, in 1966, married Warren J. Adelson; their son Harry was born in 1968.

The family moved to New York in 1972, where Brewster combined child-rearing with private sales of fine art prints, specializing in the work of artist Jamie Wyeth. In turns reserved and irreverent, formal but not snobbish, Brewster moved fluidly between the family's Upper East Side neighborhood and the bohemian downtown culture of the era. Her style was original and elegant. At a 1980 event recounted in Andy Warhol's Diaries, the artist remarked on Brewster wearing the same dress twice in his company. She replied that she'd known when she dressed that "nobody will remember this dress except Andy Warhol."

Following her 1982 divorce, Brewster remained in New York for several years, eventually returning to Henry County, Georgia, where she purchased a house by the Tussahaw Creek that had been in the family since 1872. She restored the home and land as a chic fusion of urbane and country styles. Over time, much of the acreage was conserved as public green space, and in 2010, she donated the house to Henry County to be preserved and used to further arts in the community.

Brewster's years at Tussahaw encapsulated her lifelong commitment to the natural environment and her love of the arts. An accomplished amateur artist and collector, she had a strong interest in depictions of birds, insects and local flora, favoring female artists without regard to their art world imprimatur. She championed experienced and novice artists alike, from Boston painter Polly Thayer Starr to her own granddaughters. Her patronage included donations of artworks to public institutions, such as her 2009 gift of Jamie Wyeth's "Farm Suite" to Atlanta's High Museum and, most recently, of funds to the Georgia Museum of Art for purchase of a silver olive spoon.

After leaving her home in Henry County, Brewster moved to Buckhead, Atlanta, in close proximity to her circle of friends and with access to art events and exhibitions. She was predeceased by her brother, Joe; and is survived by her son, Harry; daughter-in-law, Indira; and granddaughters, Beatrice Boudica and Victoria Wynn. At her request, no public memorial service will be held. Gifts in her memory can be made to Georgia River Network.