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Individual Artist

Jack Earl, Lakeview

Nominated By: Charlotte Gordon, Former Curator, Springfield Museum of Art

Over his 50-year career, Jack Earl has become an artist who is paramount in his field, contributing not only to Ohio’s rich artistic history, but influencing the national and international art scene as well. An educator and skilled craftsman, Earl is known for his hard-paste porcelain sculptures, which continue to attract an array of admirers for both their subject matter and complexity.

Born in Uniopolis, Ohio, Earl is a true pioneer in the ceramic arts. He was one of the first artists in the country to use porcelain in a studio setting, crafting the traditional medium into thoroughly modern pieces that reflect the people and places of his native state. In 1974, he became the first artist-in-residence at the Kohler Company in Sheboygan, WI.

Earl’s combination of whimsical style and master craftsmanship has earned him not only the respect of his audiences and peers, but also a place in private, corporate and institutional collections worldwide. In addition to his current retrospective, “Jack Earl: Modern Master,” at the Springfield Museum of Art, his work can be seen in the permanent collections of the Canton Museum of Art, the American Craft Museum, The Kohler Collection and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
With his juxtaposition of Midwestern imagery and fantasy life, Earl’s sculptural mix bring the complexity, and beauty, of rural Ohio to viewers everywhere. He has received several honors, including a National Endowment for the Arts award, Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship and Toledo Area Artists Exhibit Award and Purchase Award. Earl was a fellow at the American Craft Council in New York and is an honorary member of the Nation Council on the Education of Ceramic Arts.

Earl is still active in his studio and continues to produce and exhibit significant works, as well as conduct workshops and lectures around the country.

Jack Earl's video tribute (10:25 minutes)