Jerry Harris (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Harris
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Jerry Harris in 2008
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| Born | November 23, 1945 |
| Occupation | Artist |
Jerry Harris, born on November 23, 1945, is a talented artist. He is known for his amazing sculptures, collages, and writing. Harris mostly creates "constructivist" sculptures. This means he builds his art from different pieces and materials. He uses things like wood, stone, bronze, fiberglass, clay, and metal. He also uses mixed media, which means combining many different materials, including found objects like old pieces of wood or metal.
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About Jerry Harris
Jerry Harris was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After finishing high school there, he moved to Portland, Oregon, for a year. He lived with his uncle, Shag Thomas, who was a professional wrestler and referee.
His Education and Art Training
Harris started college in Portland. Later, he moved to Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He also studied at San Francisco State University.
He then learned about sculpture from James Lee Hansen. Hansen was a famous sculptor in the Pacific Northwest and taught at Portland State University. After this, Harris was accepted into a special international art program. This program was at the St Martins School of Art in London, England. Today, it's called Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. His teachers there included famous artists like Sir Anthony Caro and Phillip King. Harris also studied how to cast bronze at the Central School of Art and Design.
Life in Sweden and Return Home
Jerry Harris lived in Stockholm and Lund, Sweden, for many years. He stayed there until his wife, Britt-Marie Olofsson-Harris, passed away in 1996. While in Sweden, he became friends with many other African-American artists. These included Herbert Gentry and Harvey Cropper.
In 1998, Harris moved back to his hometown of Pittsburgh. He joined The Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. This is one of the oldest artist groups in the United States. He felt very welcome there, especially by the African-American sculptor Thaddeus Mosley. Later, Harris moved to Eugene, Oregon, and then to Chico, California.
His Artworks and Exhibitions
Since 1988, Jerry Harris has been a member of the Swedish Sculptors Association. His sculptures are owned by many people and groups around the world. Some of his art is even part of the permanent Swedish National Art Collection in Stockholm. He has shown his art in many galleries and museums. You can find his exhibitions all over Sweden, in other parts of Europe, and in the United States.
