Works of Art: Jerry Harris

Enter The Screaming Room, 2003
Collage with acrylics
12 x 27 in.
$ 950

Works of art by Jerry Harris are available at if ART Gallery, 1223 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC.

Contact Wim Roefs at if-art-gallery@sc.twcbc.com or (803) 255-0068/(803) 238-2351.

Biography: Jerry Harris

The African American sculptor Jerry Harris was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. His date of birth doesn't interest him. He lived in Stockholm, Sweden for many years until the death of his wife, the Swede, Britt-Marie Olofsson-Harris.

He studied under Professor James Lee Hansen, a leading Pacific Northwest sculptor who taught at Portland State University, Portland, Oregon until his retirement. Harris was later accepted in the international sculptor's program at St. Martins School of Art, London, England.

His teachers at St. Martins were the internationally known sculptors, Sir Anthony Caro (on sabbatical at the time), and Philip King. Tim Scott and David Anneseley were also teaching, and Frank Martin was department head. "Are you happy here Mr. Harris ? "Frank asked me. I said yes," but I was absolutely unhappy there, mainly because I was into bronze, and they were into direct metal sculpture, so there was a clash.

The school made arrangements for me to do special studies in bronze casting at the Central School of Art and Design (unclassified student), London, under Henry Abercrombie, Lecturer in bronze casting, and a leading authority in this field." 

Jerry Harris is primarily a constructivist sculptor, but all materials and ways of creating sculpture present a challenge for him. "I believe that a sculptor must be grounded on the planet earth," is a favorite quote from Harris's mentor, Henry Moore.

George Murphy, painter, New York-Stockholm

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International Exhibitions

Select one-person shows:

Galeri St. Paul, Stockholm, Sweden

Swedish Sculptor's Gallery (skulptorforbundet galeri), Stockholm, Sweden

Select Group Shows:

Lilivalchs Konst Hall, Stockholm, Sweden (invandrarkonst )

Goteborgs Konst Museet (invandrarkonst)

Eskilstuna Konst Museet, Eskilstuna, Sweden

Borlange Konst Museet, Borlange, Sweden (skulptorforbundet)

Huset, Copenhagen, Denmark

Fishon Private Gallery, London, England

USA Exhibitions

2008 shows

Jerry Harris New Sculptures

Chico Municipal Building Art Gallery, Chico, California,

January 17-February 29

Invited Guest: Eugene Martin, Painter(d. 2005)

Lecture/Slide Show,

1078 Gallery, Chico, California, January 21 in combination with Chico Municipal Building Art Gallery show

Jerry Harris and David Gentry: Two Sculptors-Two Visions

Chico Art Center, Chico, California ,

March 15-April 15

iF Gallery, Columbia, South Carolina.

Select one person shows:

2005. Albina Community Bank, Pearl District branch, Portland, Oregon

2004. Hult Center For The Performing Arts, Jacobs Gallery, Eugene, Oregon


Select group shows:

2007. iF Gallery(International Fine Art Gallery), Columbia, South Carolina

2006. Mark Woolley Gallery, Portland, Oregon.

2003. New Zone Artists Collective(collages)

2001. Lecturer, University Of Oregon, Morse Law School. "The African American Artists In Europe: Past and Present."

2001. Robert Canaga Gallery, Eugene, Oregon

2000. University of Oregon, McMillen Gallery, Three Sculptors: Jerry Harris, Richard Chavez, and Harold Hoy, "Diversity In An Indifferent Art World."

1999. Carnegie library, Hill District, Pittsburgh, Pa. "The homecoming show."

1999. Viaduct studios and gallery, Pittsburgh, Pa.

1998. Artist and Resident, Spinning Plate Artists Lofts, Pittsburgh, Pa.

1998. American Institute Of Architects, Pittsburgh, Pa.

1998. Associated Artists Of Pittsburgh Gallery, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Select Public and Private Collections:

Swedish National Art Collection(statenskonstrad), Stockholm, sculpture "Homage to Jan Arp"

Vaxjo Court House(tingsratten) Vaxjo, Sweden

Eugene Public Library, Eugene, Oregon(collage)

Carnegie Library, Hill District branch, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Sculptor Thad Mosley, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Ms. Audrey Robinson, London, England

Prof. Wim Roefs, Columbia, South, Carolina

Attorney John Putnam Pries, Eugene, Oregon

Mrs. Tammy Speaks, Atlanta, Georgia

Mr. Lewis Jackson/Pamela Jackson-Harris, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Dr. Suzanne Fredericq, Lafayette, La.

Jerry Harris is also a prolific writer. His articles have appeared in Dagens Nyheter, Sweden's national daily newspaper, Sweden Now magazine, Stockholm, The Scandinavian Minority Review(invandrar och Minoriet); Philadelphia City Paper; In Pittsburgh News Weekly(now Pittsburgh City Paper), Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon; International Herald Tribune, Paris, France, and until his return to California, Harris was a contributing writer to Eugene Weekly, Eugene, Oregon

Excerpt from Harris's unpublished novel, "Mad Swedes and Black Men" has been published by Ishmael Reed's Konch Magazine, Oakland, California(short fiction archives)