Fred Eversley facts for kids

Frederick John Eversley (born August 28, 1941 – died March 14, 2025) was an American sculptor. He lived in SoHo, New York, and for many years, he was connected to the California Light and Space art movement. This was because he lived in Venice Beach. His unique sculptures, made from resin in a special curved shape called a parabola, have been shown in over 200 galleries and museums worldwide.

About Fred Eversley

Fred Eversley was born in New York City on August 28, 1941. He grew up in Brooklyn. His father, Frederick W. Eversley Jr., was a civil engineer. He also started a construction business. His mother, Beatrice Syphax Eversley, was a school teacher. She was also a leader in the Parent–Teacher Association. Fred was the oldest of four children. He had one sister, Rani, and two brothers, Donald and Thomas.

Fred became interested in the parabola shape when he was a child. He read about Isaac Newton and his science experiments. He liked to work in his father's electronics workshop. He used his grandfather’s radio and photography gear to try out scientific ideas.

Fred graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1959. He later went to Carnegie Institute of Technology. This school is now called Carnegie Mellon University. He studied electrical engineering there. He was the only Black engineering student. He did not take any art classes at the university. In 2023, Carnegie Mellon gave him an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree. This was a special award for his achievements in art.

Fred Eversley passed away on March 14, 2025, in a Manhattan hospital. He was 83 years old.

Fred's Career Journey

From 1963 to 1967, Fred Eversley worked as an engineer at Wyle Laboratories. He helped design special sound labs for the Apollo and Gemini missions. These were for NASA in Houston. He also worked on labs for the European Space Agency in Munich.

In 1964, he moved to Venice, California. He lived there for over 50 years.

In 1967, Fred had a car accident. It almost cost him his life. He broke a leg bone and had to use crutches for more than a year. While he was getting better, he decided to stop engineering. He became a full-time artist instead.

In 1969, Fred took over a studio in Venice. This studio was once a laundromat. Other famous Los Angeles artists lived nearby. These included Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, and James Turrell.

In 1977, Fred Eversley was chosen for a special role. He became the first artist in residence at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. During his three years there, he had a large studio. He also had a place to live. He had art shows in Washington, D.C.. These included shows at the American Institute of Architects and the National Academy of Sciences.

In 1980, Fred bought a building in SoHo, New York. In 2019, he moved back to New York City. He lived there with his wife, Maria Larsson, who is also an artist.

Fred's Artworks

Fred Eversley was a leader among Black abstractionist artists. He made sculptures from cast resin and other materials. He called his method “centripetal casting.” This meant he used a mold to shape his sculptures into a parabola. He did not use his hands directly.

His art focused on using space and light. He wanted to connect people through positive energy spaces. He also worked with Earth's natural resources to create his art. He used simple geometric shapes to play with how light bends. He used parabolic curves to create thick lens and mirror effects. In the 1970s, Fred was seen as part of the California Light and Space art movement.

Fred sold his first big artwork to the National Museum of American Art. It was part of an international traveling show.

His art is now in the permanent collections of over 30 museums. These include the Crystal Bridges Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Tate Modern. His work is also in private collections.

Selected Exhibitions

• "Contemporary American Sculpture." Whitney Museum. 1970.
• "Contemporary American Art." Whitney Biennial. Whitney Museum. 1973.
• "Fred Eversley." Santa Barbara Museum of Art. 1976.
• "Fred Eversley." Oakland Museum of California. 1977.
• "Fred Eversley." Palm Springs Museum of Art. 1978.
• "Fred Eversley." National Academy of Sciences. 1981.
• "African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond," Muscarelle Museum of Art, 2012.
• "Black, White, Gray." Art + Practice, Los Angeles, California. 2016.
• "Fred Eversley: Black, White, Gray," The Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University. 2017.
• "Fred Eversley: 50 Years an Artist, Light & Space & Energy," Muscarelle Museum of Art, 2017.
• "Fred Eversley: Reflecting Back (the World)," Orange County Museum of Art. 2022.
• “Light, Space, Surface: Works from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art,” Addison Gallery of American Art, 2022.
• "Cylindrical Lenses,” David Kordansky Gallery, New York. 2024.
• "Fred Eversley." Benton Museum of Art, Pomona College. 2024.
• "Parabolic Light," Doris Freedman Plaza, Central Park, New York. 2024.
• “Particles and Waves: Southern California Abstraction and Science, 1945–1990,” Palm Springs Art Museum.

Awards and Honors

• Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree, Carnegie Mellon University. 2023.
• Lifetime Achievement Award in Three-Dimensional Art, James A. Porter Colloquium on African American Art, Howard University, 2018.
• Artist of The Year Award, LA Artcore, Los Angeles, California, 2010.
• City of Florence Award, Biennale Internazionale Dell'arte Contemporanea Florence, Italy, 2003.
• First Prize – Sculpture, Biennale Internazionale Dell'arte Contemporanea Florence, Italy, 2001.
• First Artist in Residence, Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., 1977–1980.
• Individual Artist Fellowship Grant, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C., 1972.