Michael Curtis received a classical
education in painting, sculpture and architecture. His training
was concentrated in buon and secco fresco, egg tempera, black
oil, and copper engraving. But following his studies at the
Kunsthistories Library in Florence he became a statue maker
and has worked in this field for over 20 years. His most significant
sculptural commissions include The History of Texas at Texas
Rangers Ball Park, Arlington, Texas, the largest US frieze
of the 20th Century; numerous portrait busts for the Library
of Congress, The Supreme Court Building, and other public
buildings. His recent statues include General Eisenhower and
The Shipbuilder, both in Alexandria, Virginia. His specialty
is relief portraits and fine medals. Also to his credit, Mr.
Curtis has had over 30 one-man and groups exhibitions; his
painting, sculpture, and architectural drawings are represented
in over 250 private and public collections. Although not a
registered architect, he has produced architectural designs,
which have been built.
For
over 20 years Mr. Curtis taught art and art history at art
schools, colleges, and universities; too, he is a frequent
lecturer, recently at the National Gallery of Art. His interest
in art education has led him to chair the sculpture department
at the Art League, and to sit on the Board of Governors of
The University of Michigan School of Art. He was also a guest
curator for two years at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Department
of African, Oceanic, and New World Cultures.
Mr.
Curtis has held positions on other art and art related boards
of directors, including; the U.S. State Department Seminarians,
the Business Consortium for the Arts. The Michigan Academy
of Science Arts and Letters [Arts Chair, Artists Equity [Michigan
President], and Citizens for Public Art.
Mr.
Curtis maintains a studio/atelier, The Studio, and he owns
a small manufacturing company, The Classical Gallery, Inc.
Other current projects include: Founding Member of Arts Civica,
The National Civic Arts Society; translations of Afrikaans
verse into English [to be published in 2005]; editing 19 books
of verse written in the past ten years.
Public Sculpture {Abbreviated}
Justice Thurgood
Marshall; United States Courts Building; Washington,
DC
Washington
Medal, Paul Peck Presidential Award; National
Portrait Gallery; DC
Benjamin Franklin
Medal; The Creativity Foundation, Washington
DC
Bill Emerson; The Library of Congress; Jefferson; Washington,
DC
Roger Stevens
Mask; The Library of Congress; Madison; Washington,
DC
Moshe Rosen; Johns Hopkins Univ. & Ben Gurion
Univ.
Roger Stevens; Unico Corporation; Seattle, WA
The Family
Wall, Huntington Woods, MI
The History
of Texas; Arlington, TX
Adams Herm; Alexandria, VA
Hopping Portrait; Washington, DC
General Dwight
D. Eisenhower;
Alexandria, VA
Herrick Portrait; Washington, DC
Myers Anderson
Portrait, U.S. Supreme Court; Washington, DC
Thomas S.
Monoghan Portrait; Dominos’ World Headquarters; Ann Arbor,
MI
Freedom Medal; International Freedom Festival; Canada
Huntington
Woods Bear, Huntington Woods, MI
Horsepower; Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum;
MI
Curatorial
Michigan Outdoor
Sculpture III;
Co-Chair; 1991
Gateway to
the City of Ann Arbor;
Project Director; 1988-91
James Wilber
Johnston Sculpture Competition;
Review Committee; 1988-91
Ann Arbor Art
Fair; Juror; 1989 & 90
Michigan Outdoor
Sculpture I;
Co-Chair; 1987
City of Southfield, Gallery Space; Co-Curator; 1984-92
Michigan Sculptors; Pontiac Art Center, Curator 1986
Samuel Cashwan
Retrospective;
C.C.S. Gallery; Curator, 1985
Visions of
Native America; The Detroit Institute of Arts; Curator;
1985
Michigan –
Ontario IV, V & VI;
Curator; 1983-85
Professional {Abbreviated}
Ars Civica; Editor in Chief; summer 2002-
The Classical
Gallery; President/CEO; 2001-
National Gallery
of Art, Guest Lecturer, Fall, 1999
The STUDIO, Gallery & Design Studio; Director,
1998-
The Melting
Pot; Vice President, 1997-98
Park West
Galleries, Publishing; Sculptor; 1991
Center Galleries; Director; 1989-90
Archivist
of State Art; State of Michigan; 1987-89
The Detroit
Institute of Arts;
Guest Curator; 1984-85
Curtis Studio; Exhibition Agent; 1981-86
Curtis Gallery; Director; 1981-82
Studio Artist; 1980-
Exhibitions
Over 30 one-man
and group exhibitions
Collections
Over 200 private
and public collections
Affiliations
U.S. State
Department, Capitol Seminarians; Board Member; 1994-96
The University
of Michigan, School of Art; National Fundraising Chair;
1989-91
City of Ann
Arbor, Art Commission; Steering Committee; 1988-90
The University
of Michigan, School of Art; Board of Governors; 1988-90
Citizens for
Public Art; Board Member & Project Director;
1987-91
International
Sculpture Center;
Sculpture Competition, Advisory Board; 1987-90
Ann Arbor
2000; Board Member; 1987-89
Artist’s Equity; Michigan Chapter President; 1985-86
Business Consortium
for the Arts;
Board Member; 1984-92
Michigan Academy, S.A.L., F.A.S.; Co-Chair; 1983-85
Teaching
The Art League;
Sculpture Department Chair;
Portrait, Anatomy, Figurative, Architectural, etcetera; 1996-98
The Center for Creative
Studies, College of Art and Design, Detroit, MI; Asst. Prof.; Art History,
Figure Sculpture, Basic Design, Gallery Practices, Carving;
etcetera; 1985-90
The University
of Michigan, Art Space; Lecturer Beginning Sculpture,
Life Drawing, 1983-85
Publications
Public Sculpture
in Ann Arbor;
Alexa Lee, publisher; Co-author; 1995
Dan Ostermiller; Sculpture Review; 1990
Brian Buczak,
A Memorial; Video Director; 1990
Between Water
and Heaven; Sculpture Review; 1989
Art Under
the Public Eye; State of Michigan, W.S.U. Press; Contributor;
1989
The Embellished
Greeting; Video Director; 1989
Art in Public
Places; State of Michigan, Co-author; 1987
Samuel Cashwan, Sculptor; Author; 1987
Books, Magazines, and Video/TV {Abbreviated}
Fine Arts
Quarterly; Editor in Chief; 2002-
Public Sculpture
in Ann Arbor;
Alexa Lee, publisher; Co-author; 1995
Brian Buczak, A Memorial; Video Director; 1990
Between Water
and Heaven; Sculpture Review; 1989
Art Under
the Public Eye; State of Michigan, W.S.U. Press; Contributor;
1989
The Embellished
Greeting; Video Director; 1989
Art in the
Public Places; State of Michigan; Co-author; 1987
Samuel Cashwan, Sculptor; CCS publisher, Author; 1987
Education
The University
of Michigan, Graduate
Studies; Architecture, Studio Art, The History of Art, 1985-90
Center for
Creative Studies,
College of Art and Design; Foundry; 1983-85
The Detroit
Institute of Arts,
Department of African, Oceanic and New-World Cultures; 1983-84
Kunsthistories
Library, Independent research; 1980
The University
of Michigan; B.F.A.; 1978-80
The Art School
of the Society of Arts and Crafts; 1974-76
