Obituary of Diane W. Courant

The artist Diane Brott Courant, 90, departed this world on December 30, 2022, with
family by her side.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Diane graduated from Buffalo State Teachers College and
spent many years teaching early education. Her dedication to education and learning
never left her, and she pursued inquiries into life, the human spirit, and the arts for her
entire life. Her home where she lived with her husband, Charles Courant, in Belfast,
Maine serves as a library, an exhibit and a studio for her art.
An accomplished pianist and vocalist, Diane is best known for her artistry in weaving
and fiber. She has exhibited her work in galleries in Maine, New York City and Hawaii.
She has given lectures on fiber art at Dartmouth College and University of
Massachusetts. Her wall-hangings are in churches, schools, and private collections
around the world. She has written extensively on her art, including articles in Faith and
Form magazine, and the magazine Convergence.
She owned and directed The Brott Gallery in Camden, Maine, which featured many
other artists’ work alongside her own, once described as ‘a Celebration of the Heart,
Earth, Art, and Spirit’. Her work runs from the practical to the ethereal. A line of handmade
hats were once featured by Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. Her first threedimensional
sculpture in wool, called Falada, was dedicated to the notion of
empowerment for women.
Her inspiration from her studies into the spiritual nature of existence and her
expression of those ideas in her art led to an association with The Society of Layerists in
Multi-Media (SLMM), centered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a member of SLMM,
Diane and Charles traveled throughout the US attending annual national gatherings,
which featured art from multiple disciplines.
Diane is survived by her husband of 34 years, Charles Courant; Son Deerin Brott and
daughter-in-law, Rebecca Babb-Brott; son Avery Brott; grandchildren, Alison Babb-
Brott, Anya Babb-Brott, and Emerson Brott. Diane’s first beloved child, Allison Brott,
died at the age of six.
Diane leaves a legacy of artistic achievement and a large circle of close friends and fellow
artists. She died too young at 90. A celebration of her life will be held in the spring on a
date to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Waterfall Arts in Belfast, Maine.