Hand Built Earthenware Monument to a Hamburger

Artist Statement: During the summers in Connecticut when I was a pre-teen, I lived for playing baseball. I grew up on a farm and had to work hard, but I always made time for baseball. I played everyday and sometimes even slept with my glove underneath my pillow. I dreamed of playing professionally for the New York Yankees. The only thing that dragged me away from playing baseball was an arts and craft’s class in my school’s summer program. On Tuesday afternoon, after lunch, baseball was on hold for arts and crafts. In my first class, they taught us how to make pot holders and build things with Popsicle sticks by gluing them together. It was so much fun. I guess this was the earliest telling of what was to unfold in the future years. I continued to play semi-pro baseball until the age of 38. I was also into weightlifting and even placed in a national competition. Sports and art have always been my passions. I was willing to put sports on hold for my art, though. And sports have always influenced my artwork. My first great influence in art was my craft teacher in high school, Shirley Charron. I was not an “A” student by any means and I did not excel in math or science. Ms. Charron knew I wasn’t a great student and encouraged me to apply for art school at Silvermine College of Arts. The college was holding interviews and all I had to do was make an appointment and bring my artwork. I was excited to find out that they didn’t need to know my S.A.T. scores. So I met with Dean Bob Gray and he liked my artwork. I became a student at the Silvermine College and received my Associate’s Degree from there. I went on to the Maryland Institute of Art where I received my Bachelor of Arts degree. I met several students from various backgrounds and different countries. I was fortunate for having great teachers and mentors along the way. Visiting artists were a big influence to me, as well. My college years helped greatly, keeping me out of the ‘real world’ and into the realm of creativity and free­ flowing ideas. After receiving my Masters Degree from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1977. I stayed in Chicago. I became ‘so-to-speak’ a “Chicago” artist, living in lofts, dreaming the dreams of becoming known and reaching for the stars. I was still quite naïve at the age of 30. Luckily, I kept my day job as a cleaning man. I worked hard during those years after graduate school and still do 28 years later. During those 28 years, I tried out for the Chicago White Sox...

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