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About Harry
Autobiographical Information
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I was born in Wichita, Kansas. I lived
in Missouri, New Jersey, and North Carolina growing up.
As a child I always enjoyed taking things apart and putting
things together. My mother tells me that I took my pacifiers
apart. On a driving trip once she bought a pacifier guaranteed
to be indestructible. Five minutes down the road I had
taken it apart. Maybe I already had a three-dimensional/mechanical
fascination (then again, maybe the pacifier was just poorly
engineered). When I got old enough to use a hammer and
a saw I built countless go-carts, tree-forts, and explosive
devices. Through school I enjoyed art projects, but I
never took them particularly seriously. In eighth grade
I got a "D" in art one quarter. In ninth grade
I received an award for being the "Best Ninth Grade
Artist" (same teacher). I built a kayak in my basement.
It looked pretty good, but it was too short, so it rode
very low in the water and sank a lot. In twelfth grade
I did not take art because the teacher was too negative
to the students who weren't doing well and it didn't feel
good to be in her classroom.
I found literature to be very powerful during
my high school years and I did quite a bit of writing. Writing
was really my first art form. Most of my writing was journal-writing
and was intended only to help me figure out how to cope with
the world, but I also wrote poetry. I was on the staff of
my high school literary magazine. In twelfth grade I remember
getting very involved in writing a sonnet dealing with the
implications of B.F. Skinner's writings on Behaviorism (not
your typical sonnet). I worked on the sonnet sporadically
for months, often getting up in the middle of the night to
write a new line or two. I was consumed by the challenge of
expressing those particular ideas in that particular form.
I was a little bit tormented by it, but ultimately I found
it fulfilling to be compelled to create something.
I grew up in the time when "environmentalism"
became a word. I remember learning about pollution in fourth
grade. By high school my concern was very deep and I felt
a lot of personal responsibility for my impact on the earth.
I wore used clothing, made my own shoes, avoided using cars,
and more. I was rather depressed about the state of the world
and felt compelled to do something about it. My vision of
my life ahead involved living in the middle of nowhere, growing
all of my own food, sewing my own clothes, and making my own
house. I felt like I ought to become a lobbyist for Friends
of the Earth or The Sierra Club and I felt guilty for knowing
that I didn't want to. My notions for "saving the world"
all seemed to revolve around making things.
I started making musical instruments in my
first year out of high school. They weren't very good, but
they were probably my first attempt at making something to
a professional standard. I was in and out of college for a
few years. In many ways I loved being a student, but I struggled
with the constant time pressure. It seemed that there was
always some aspect of a course which I was fascinated by,
but which I didn't have time to explore because I had to do
a lot of other non-fascinating things before the deadline.
I was a slow reader. My mind always seemed to wander. Quite
often the distraction was a three-dimensional design problem.
I designed a backpack frame with pivoting hip supports, non-slipping
cross-county skis, a rowboat that could be rowed facing forward,
etc. Or sometimes the reading material would suggest some
scenario and my mind would start creating a story, and soon,
I would find that I had been staring at the same page for
five minutes adrift in a fantasy. Sometimes my eyes wandered
from the pages and I would notice a pattern in the carpet
or the woodwork and my eyes would begin following the pattern
around the room or trying to discern different patterns within
the dominant pattern. When I was really interested in the
book I could read just fine. Of course everyone has their
distractions, but in retrospect I wish I had paid a little
more attention to my distractions and been a little less motivated
by what I thought I SHOULD do. The places were one's mind
wanders reveal a lot about one's passions and propensities.
A couple of years into college my fascination
with instrument-making (woodwinds) became a lot bigger than
my fascination with being a student. I had built a treadle
lathe and used the lathe to make several dozen mediocre penny
whistles and recorders (and a few good ones). I decided that
I wanted to become an apprentice to a recorder maker, so I
found a book of woodwind instrument-makers in the library
and perused it (with very little distraction) to find recorder-makers.
I then traveled around visiting seven of them and one offered
me a job.
I moved from Bar Harbor, Maine to New York
City. That move would have been absolutely inconceivable to
me a few years earlier, but after living on a couple of farms
in Maine, and tempering my pastoral visions with reality,
I was eager to try it. For a year-and-a-half I assisted in
the construction of Baroque bassoons, Renaissance recorders,
and a few other woodwinds. I learned to work to a high degree
of accuracy. I developed skills in shaping and fitting, machining,
and silver-soldering. I thought that I might like to set-up
my own workshop making recorders. I got tired of day after
day of sanding and I needed a change.
I moved to New Haven, Connecticut and set
up a workshop there and (without a clear sense of purpose)
began making slit drums. I continued making slit drums (over
700) for quite a few years as my interest in sculpture emerged.
In 1983, I took a painting class at a community
art center and REALLY liked it. I then took a metal sculpture
class and really liked it too. In these classes I found that
I had a strong inner drive to keep doing more. In the summer
of 1984 I saw an ad in a local weekly paper requesting design
submissions for a public art project for the train station
in Stamford, Connecticut. I thought, "Well, I always
look at public sculptures and think that I could do better;
I guess that I should put my money where my mouth is."
So I spent the next week designing and creating a couple of
models. I became totally absorbed in the project and, at the
end of the week (though I was not awarded the commission)
it was clear that creating artwork was deeply satisfying to
me and I needed to make it an ongoing part of my life.
In the ensuing years artwork has become a
central part of my life. I have explored many different directions
and numerous opportunities and honors have come my way. I
hope to always continue exploring.
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Information
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
|
| 2008 |
Deco Gecko; Pritchard Park; Asheville, NC |
| 2007 |
Redbird;
Fred Fletcher Park; Raleigh, NC |
| 2005 |
Dancers;
Florida State University;Tallahassee, FL |
| 2005 |
Spires
(purchase); Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton,
FL |
| 2003 |
Fiddleheads; UNCA-Kellogg Center; Hendersonville, NC |
| 2003 |
Ghost
Train; New River Trail State Park; Pulaski, VA |
| 2001 |
Avian Muse; 30' long mobile;
Robert Morgade Library; Stuart, FL |
| 2000 |
Neptunian Frolic (purchase);
Brevard County Health Department; Titusville, FL |
| 1999 |
Eclipse; 55' long mobile;
Outpatient lobby, Moore Regional Hospital; Pinehurst,
NC |
| 1988 |
Agrisculpture; nine-piece
suspended sculpture commissioned by the Maryland--National
Capital Parks & Planning Commission; Derwood,
MD |
SELECTED AWARDS
|
| 2008 |
Liza Plaster Merit Award; Sculpture
Celebration; Caldwell Arts Council
|
| 2008 |
Public Artist of the Year; City of
Asheville; Asheville, NC
|
| 2002 |
Liza Plaster
Merit Award; Sculpture Celebration; Caldwell Arts
Council
|
| 1998 |
Honorable Mention; Combined Talents;
Florida State Univ. Museum of Fine Arts |
| 1998 |
Merit Award; Sculpture Celebration;
Lenoir, NC |
| 1997 |
Merit Award; Juried Regional Exhibition;
Staunton-Augusta Art Center |
| 1997 |
Honorable Mention; Art Calendar Crabbie
Awards |
| 1997 |
Award of Excellence; Roanoke Art Show;
Art Museum of Western Virginia |
| 1995 |
Honorable Mention; Environmental Exhibition;
HERA Gallery |
| 1995 |
Honorable Mention; N.C. Artists Exhibition;
Fayetteville Museum of Art |
| 1992 |
First Prize--Other Media; 64th Art Association
of Harrisburg Exhibition |
| 1991 |
Juror's Award; National Exhibition;
Maryland Federation of Art |
| 1987 |
Best in Show; National Juried Exhibition;
Mari Gallery |
| 1986 |
R.A. Rathbone Prize; 85th New Haven
Paint and Clay Club Exhibition |
GRANTS
|
| 1998 |
Visual Arts Fellowship; North Carolina
Arts Council |
| 1993 |
Alternate Visions Project Grant; Alternate
Roots; Atlanta, GA |
| 1993 |
Visual Arts Fellowship; North Carolina
Arts Council |
| 1992 |
Emerging Artists Grant; Community Arts
Council; Buncombe County, NC |
OUTDOOR SCULPTURE EXHIBITIONS
|
| 2010 |
Sculpture Walk; City of Kingsport;
Kingsport, TN
|
| 2010 |
Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition;
Appalachian State University; Boone, NC
|
| 2010 |
Down East Sculpture Exhibition; Pitt
County Arts Council; Greenville, NC
|
| 2009 |
Discover What’s Outside; East
Liberty Street; Salisbury, NC
|
| 2006 |
RiverSculpture;
French Broad River Park; Asheville, NC
|
| 2002 |
Outdoor
Sculpture Exhibition; Henderson County Arts Council;
Hendersonville, NC
|
| 2000 |
Tri State Sculptors; Brevard College;
Brevard, NC |
| 2000 |
Red Spire, Orange Spire and Blue Spire;
James Madison Univ.; Harrisonburg, VA |
| 1999 |
Orange Spire and Blue Spire; Hickory
Museum of Art, Hickory, NC |
| 1999 |
Asteroids; Fine Arts Center of Kershaw
County; Camden, SC |
| 1999 |
Art in Public Places; Central Park;
College Station, TX |
| 1998 |
MASS Exhibition; Greensboro Cultural
Center; Greensboro, NC |
| 1998 |
Outdoor Sculpture; Western Carolina
University; Cullowhee, NC |
| 1998 |
Outdoor Sculpture; Fine Arts Center
of Kershaw County; Camden, SC |
| 1998 |
Sculpture Salmagundi II; Rocky Mount
Arts Center; Rocky Mount, NC |
| 1997 |
Outdoor Sculpture Competition; Watuaga
Arts Council; Boone, NC |
| 1997 |
Sculpture on the Grounds; Rockville
Civic Center Park; Rockville, MD |
SELECTED 1-, 2-, & 3-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
|
| 2009 |
Raw
Identity; Fayetteville Museum of Art; Fayetteville,
NC
|
| 2005 |
American Artifacts & Figurative
Works; Mitchell Community College, Statesville, NC
|
| 2002 |
Wood
Sculptures; Arts Council of Wilson, Wilson, NC |
| 2001 |
American Artifacts; District of Columbia
Arts Center; Washington, DC |
| 2000 |
Invitational Exhibition; Transylvania
County Arts Council; Brevard, NC |
| 1999 |
American Artifacts; Hand Workshop Art
Center; Richmond, VA |
| 1998 |
American Artifacts; University of South
Carolina Spartanburg; Spartanburg, SC |
| 1998 |
Souvenirs . . . and Figurative Works;
Community Council for the Arts; Kinston, NC |
| 1998 |
Souvenirs from My Visit to America;
Univ. of Tenn. at Chattanooga; Chattanooga, TN |
| 1997 |
Souvenirs . . . and Figurative Works;
Mars Hill College; Mars Hill, NC |
| 1997 |
Souvenirs from My Visit to America;
Greensboro College; Greensboro, NC |
| 1997 |
Souvenirs from My Visit to America;
Warren Wilson College; Swannanoa, NC |
| 1997 |
Souvenirs from My Visit to America;
ACME Art Co.; Columbus, OH |
| 1997 |
Figurative Works; Sinclair Community
College; Dayton, OH |
| 1996 |
Souvenirs from My Visit to America;
Burke Arts Council; Morganton, NC |
| 1996 |
Souvenirs from My Visit to America;
Spirit Square; Charlotte, NC |
| 1996 |
Images of the Human Spirit; Asheville
Art Museum; Asheville, NC |
| 1995 |
Souvenirs from My Visit to America;
U.I.C.A.; Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1993 |
Alien Eyes; 800 East; Atlanta, GA |
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
|
| 2010 |
29th
Annual Competitive Exhibition; Community Council for
the Arts; Kinston, NC
|
| 2009 |
Sculpture
Celebration; Broyhill Park; Lenoir, NC |
| 2009 |
Art
in the Airport; Asheville Regional Airport;
Asheville, NC |
| 2009 |
Discover
What’s Inside; EastSquare ArtWorks; Salisbury, NC |
| 2008 |
The Works; Vadim Bora Gallery;
Asheville, NC
|
| 2008 |
Space Shifters; Upstairs Gallery;
Tryon, NC |
| 2008 |
Sculpture Celebration; Broyhill
Park; Lenoir, NC |
| 2008 |
Six Sculptors; EastSquare Artworks;
Salisbury, NC |
| 2006 |
Sculpture Celebration; Broyhill
Park; Lenoir, NC |
| 2005 |
Sculpture Celebration; Broyhill
Park; Lenoir, NC |
| 2003 |
Invitational
Exhibition; Hammond Gallery; Arts Council of Wilson;
Wilson, NC |
| 2000 |
NCAC Fellowship Recipients; Weatherspoon
Gallery; UNC-G; Greensboro, NC |
| 2000 |
Trouble Shooting Gun Violence; organized
by Hodges Taylor Gallery; Charlotte, NC |
| 1999 |
Sculpting the Human Figure; The Upstairs
Gallery; Tryon, NC |
| 1999 |
The Florida National; Appleton Museum
of Art; Ocala, FL |
| 1998 |
The Florida National; FSU Museum of
Fine Arts; Tallahassee, FL |
| 1998 |
The Sculpture Salmagundi; Rocky Mount
Arts Center; Rocky Mount, NC |
| 1998 |
Greater Midwest International; Central
Missouri State Univ.; Warrensburg, MO |
| 1997 |
Visual/Verbal; Hickory Museum of Art;
Hickory, NC |
| 1997 |
Regional Exhibition; Staunton Augusta
Art Center; Staunton, VA |
| 1997 |
Festival '97; Creative Arts Guild; Dalton,
GA |
| 1997 |
Roanoke City Art Show; Art Museum of
Western Virginia; Roanoke, VA |
| 1997 |
The Sculpture Salmagundi; Rocky Mount
Arts Center; Rocky Mount, NC |
| 1997 |
Southworks '97; Oconee Cultural Arts
Foundation; Watkinsville, GA |
| 1997 |
National Competition; Community Council
for the Arts, Kinston, NC |
| 1996 |
Sculpture; Charlotte/Douglas International
Airport; Charlotte, NC |
| 1996 |
Materials: Hard and Soft; Greater Denton
Arts Council; Denton, TX |
| 1995 |
Environmental Exhibition; HERA Gallery;
Wakefield, RI |
| 1995 |
23rd N.C. Artists Exhibition; Fayetteville
Museum of Art; Fayetteville, NC |
| 1994 |
Alumni Exhibition; College of the Atlantic;
Bar Harbor, ME |
| 1994 |
'93/'94 N.C. Fellowship Recipients;
SECCA; Winston-Salem, NC |
| 1993 |
Emerging Artists ‘93; The Gallery
on Broadway, Nashville, TN |
| 1992 |
64th Juried Exhibit; Art Association
of Harrisburg; Harrisburg, PA |
| 1992 |
Environmental Perspectives; Erb Union;
University of Oregon; Eugene, OR |
| 1991 |
Contemporary Art on Canvas; Maryland
Federation of Art; Annapolis, MD |
| 1991 |
Tri-State Sculptors; Spartanburg County
Art Association; Spartanburg, SC |
| 1990 |
Expanding Boundaries; Flossie Martin
Gallery; Radford, VA |
| 1987 |
National Juried Exhibition; Mari Gallery;
Mamaroneck, NY |
| 1986 |
Connecticut Circumscribed; Erector Square
Gallery; New Haven, CT |
|
CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
|
| 2000 |
Three mobiles purchased for X-Files
set; episode: All Things; aired 4/9/00 |
SELECTED REVIEWS
|
| 3/13/09 |
A.
Solano; Who Are We?; The Fayetteville Observer
|
| 1/08 |
K.
Priestley; “Redbirds and
Geckos”; North Carolina Signature
|
| 5/05 |
“Public Works”; The Laurel of
Asheville |
| 4/01 |
"Art in Unfamiliar Places--Neptunian
Frolic"; Florida History & the Arts |
| 7/27/98 |
"Art Outdoors"; Chronicle-Independent
(Camden, SC) |
| 2/15/98 |
A. Nichols; "Souvenirs from My
Visit to America"; Chattanooga Free Press |
| 10/26/97 |
T. Patterson; "Souvenirs: Artist
looks at current artifacts"; Winston-Salem Journal |
| 3/16/97 |
M. Clement; "Awe inspiring";
Fayetteville Observer-Times |
| 1/7/96 |
D. Neal; "Three artists create
portraits of inner life"; Asheville Citizen-Times |
| 10/23/94 |
D. Gold; "Artists’ wit puts
glow on a grim subtheme"; Maine Telegram |
| 2/12/92 |
L. Millegan; "Exhibition features
environmental focus"; Oregon Daily Emerald |
| 7/90 |
M. Oberlaender; "Tri-State Sculptors
Exhibition"; Art Papers |
| 10/4/87 |
C. Battista; "Artists craft worldly
sounds"; New York Times |
| 10/86 |
S. Wadsworth; "Connecticut Circumscribed";
Art New England |
EDUCATION
|
| 1980-81 |
College of the Atlantic; Bar Harbor,
ME; Human Ecology |
| 1979 |
Warren Wilson College; Swannanoa, NC;
Ecology |
PRESENTATIONS
|
| 2000 |
Computer-Aided Design for Sculptors; Tri State Sculptors
Conference; Brevard, NC |
| 1999 |
Panelist; Cultural Iconography; Hand Workshop Art
Center; Richmond, VA |
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
|
| 1988--pres. |
International Sculpture Center member |
| 1990--pres. |
Tri State Sculptors member |
| 1998--2003 |
Webmaster for <www.TriStateSculptors.org> |
TRAVEL
|
| 1989 |
Guatemala; Three months studying Spanish
and traveling |
| 1985 |
Zaire; Two months living in rural village
and studying Kikongo |
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