Athena Tacha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Athena Tacha
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Artist Athena Tacha in front of her 36 Years of Aging, Eclipse Gallery, Arlington, VA, 2008
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| Born | 1936 (age 88–89) |
| Education | Athens School of Fine Arts, M.A. in sculpture (1959) Oberlin College, M.A. in art history (1961) Sorbonne, Doctorate in aesthetics (1963) |
| Known for | environmental sculpture public sculpture, conceptual art |
Athena Tacha (Greek: Αθηνά Τάχα) was born in 1936 in Larissa, Greece. She is a talented visual artist who works with many different materials. She is most famous for her large outdoor sculptures and art that fits into specific places. She also creates conceptual art, which focuses on ideas.
Athena Tacha uses a wide range of materials in her art. These include stone, brick, steel, water, and even special LED lighting. She also works with photography, film, and unique artist's books. Her art often tells personal stories and explores interesting geometric shapes and forms.
Contents
Athena Tacha's Early Life and Studies
Athena Tacha was born in Greece in 1936. She loved art and studied it at several famous schools. She earned a master's degree in sculpture from the Athens School of Fine Arts in Greece in 1959.
Later, she moved to the United States. She received another master's degree in art history from Oberlin College in Ohio in 1961. She then went to Paris, France, and earned a doctorate in aesthetics from the Sorbonne in 1963.
Her Career in Art and Teaching
After finishing her studies, Tacha worked at the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College. There, she helped organize art shows featuring modern artists. From 1973 to 2000, she was a professor of sculpture at Oberlin College. She taught many students about creating art. Since 1998, she has been connected with the University of Maryland, College Park. Today, she lives in Washington, DC.
Athena Tacha's Amazing Artwork
Athena Tacha was one of the first artists to create "environmental site-specific sculpture." This means her art is designed especially for a particular outdoor space. She started doing this in the early 1970s.
She has won more than 50 contests to create permanent public art. Almost 40 of these projects have been built across the United States. One of her big public artworks is a two-acre sculpture in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is called Connections and is located in Matthias Baldwin Park.
Tacha has also had many solo art shows in New York City. Her work has been shown in group exhibitions all over the world, including the famous Venice Biennale. She also created many conceptual artworks using text and photos. Many of these were published as special artist's books.
Her Unique Artist Books
Athena Tacha's artist books were made between 1970 and 2005. These books are often small and folded, like a zine. In one book called The Way My Mind Works, Tacha writes about her thoughts and ideas. Other books in this series explore everyday life. Her larger artist books often focus on geometry, space, and simple designs. For example, A Dictionary of Steps shows different diagrams of steps. Tacha also explored self-portraits in works like Gestures and Expressions.
Exhibitions of Athena Tacha's Art
In 1989, a big show of Athena Tacha's art was held at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. It featured over 100 of her sculptures, drawings, and conceptual photo pieces. The show also included large color photos of her completed public artworks. A special book called Athena Tacha: Public Works, 1970-88 was made for this exhibition.
That same year, she had another exhibition at the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art. This show included more than 50 new sculptures and drawings. It also featured two large temporary art installations.
Her most recent museum show was called Small Wonders: New Sculpture and Photoworks. It was held at the American University's Katzen Arts Center in Washington, DC, in 2006. This show also had a detailed book with essays about her work.
In 2010, a huge show celebrating 40 years of Athena Tacha's art opened in Greece. It was called "Athena Tacha: From the Public to the Private." This exhibition showed all kinds of her art, from big outdoor projects to "body sculptures" and films.
Athena Tacha's sculptures and photo-works are part of many important museum collections. You can find her art in places like the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Latest Public Art Projects (2001–2009)
Athena Tacha has created many exciting public art projects. Here are some of her completed works from 2001 to 2009:
- Victory Plaza (2000–02): A huge plaza with fountains in front of the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
- STOP & GO: to Garrett Augustus Morgan (2001–04): A plaza for the Metrorail's Morgan Blvd. Station in Washington, DC.
- Hearts Beat (2002–04): A 350-foot long ceiling made of animated LED lights. It is in a sky bridge connecting the Grosvenor Metro station to the Strathmore Music Center in N. Bethesda, Maryland.
- Riding with Sarah and Wayne (2004–06): A mile-long track pavement for the Light Rail in Newark, New Jersey.
- Waterlinks II (2006–08): A large granite water wall at the University of Wisconsin’s Business School in Madison, Wisconsin.
- An amphitheater and two fountains for the Muhammad Ali Center Plaza (2002–09) in Louisville, KY. This project was done with other design companies.
- A plaza with a Light Obelisk Fountain in front of Bloomingdale's. Also, an arcade ceiling called Light Riggings with colorful animated lights. And a LED sculpture called WWW-Tower. These were all part of the Wisconsin Place development in Bethesda, Maryland.
Books About Athena Tacha's Art
Several books have been written about Athena Tacha's sculptures and other artworks. These books often include many pictures and essays by art experts. They help people learn more about her unique artistic style and her important contributions to public art.
