Born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1959, Joseph Seigenthaler currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, where he has exhibited his figurative sculpture for the past 20 years. He is married to the painter Anne Gilbert from Paris, France and they have three beautiful daughters, ages 17, 14, and 11 years old.
The artist is represented by Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago.
Having received the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1981 from the Memphis College of Art's painting department, he soon began fabricating on a freelance basis life-size, realistic wax figures for various wax museums, primarily in Nashville and Tamworth, Australia. The technical processes gained from this three year period were to become influential on the development of his later exploration with large, over life-size figuration.
From 1984 to 1986 he attended the Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, Tennessee, where he became exposed to the possibilities of using fired clay as a medium for self expression. In 1987 he was awarded a three year tuition scholarship from Northern Illinois University, where in 1990 he received the Master of Fine Arts degree.
Seigenthaler has taught figurative clay and sculpture at the University of Montana, Missoula,
Harold Washington College in Chicago, as well as the figure in clay at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Virginia A. Groot Foundation awarded him their visual arts grant in sculpture in 1996, as well as a third place award in 1995. He was the recipient of a Regional Fellowship Award in sculpture from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991 and a visual arts grant in sculpture from the Illinois Arts Council in 1990.
His work is included in numerous private collections and in the permanent collections of the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin, and Museo de Escultura Figurativa Internacional Contemporánea, Spain.
EXHIBITIONS
2009 New and Novel 2009: Recent Gifts to RAM's Collection
Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin
2007 Fresh Takes, Revisiting Some Familiar Faces
Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago, IL
2003 Animated
Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago, IL
2002 Portraits
Illinois State Museum Traveling Exhibition, Curared by Robert Sill, Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL. Group Invitational
Confrontational Clay: The Artist as Social Critic, National Touring Exhibition
Curated by Judith Schwartz-NYU, and Exhibits USA, Group Invitational
Escape from the Vault: The Contemporary Museum's Collection Breaks Out
Group Exhibit from the Permanent Collection, Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, HI
The Armory Show, New York, NY
Gallery Artists represented by Carl Hammer Gallery
Chicago International Art Exhibition, Navy Pier, Gallery Artists of Carl Hammer Gallery
2000 Joseph Seigenthaler, Recent Works,
Carl Hammer Gallery
Chicago International Art Exhibition, Navy Pier, Carl Hammer Gallery
Confrontational Clay: The Artist as Social Critic,
National Touring Exhibition, Curated by Judith Schwartz-NYU, and Exhibits USA. Group Invitational
Carl Hammer 2000, Group Exhibition of Gallery Artists, Carl Hammer Gallery, Chicago
1999 Chicago International Art Exhibition, Navy Pier, Carl Hammer Gallery
Clay Becomes the Figure, Kennedy Art Museum, Athens, OH, Group Invitational
55th Scripps Ceramic Annual
Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, CA. Group Invitational
1998 The Nude in Clay,
Perimeter Gallery, Chicago, IL, Group Invitational
Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL and New York, NY.
Artists represented by Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago
1997 Out of the Shadow of Ivan Albright, Twelve Contemporary Chicago Artists
State of Illinois Art Gallery, James Thompson Center, Chicago, IL. Group Invitational
Influences,
Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago,IL
Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
1996 Recent Works,
Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
1995 Seigenthaler - New Work,
Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL and Miami, FL
1994 (Un)Real: Three Chicago Artists
Roland Gibson Gallery, State University of New York, Potsdam
When Clay Speaks,
Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL
Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
1993 New Acquisition to the Permanent Collection,
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
1991 Faculty Exhibition,
Gallery of Visual Arts, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
1990 Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago, IL
1989 Contemporary Ceramics,
NIU Gallery, Chicago, IL
1988 The Whole World is Still Watching (20th Anniversary of the 1968 Democratic Convention)
Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago, IL, Group Invitation
New Faces, New Spaces,
ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL, Group Invitation
1987 Political Statements, NEA and Southern Arts Federation Touring Exhibition
1986 Political Statements, NEA and Southern Arts Federation Touring Exhibition
AWARDS
1996 Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant for Sculpture, Chicago, IL
1995 Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant for Sculpture, Chicago, IL, Recognition Award
1991 NEA Regional/ Arts Midwest Visual Arts Fellowship Award (Sculpture)
1990 Illinois Arts Council, Visual Art Grant (Sculpture)
Illinois Arts Council Special Assistance Grant for an Individual
TEACHING POSITIONS
1998 - 2001 Oxbow, Saugatuk, MI. Taught two week intensive courses on the Figure in Clay.
1997-98 Visiting Artist, School of the Art Institute, Chicago, IL. Taught Semester Courses on the Figure in Clay.
1993 Harold Washington College, Chicago, IL. Taught Semester Course of Basic Handbuilding with Clay.
1990 University of Montana, Missoula, MT. Taught Graduate and Undergraduate Level Courses in Sculpture.
1988-90 Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. Taught Beginning to Advanced Drawing and Life Drawing from the Model for two years on a Full-Time Teaching Assistantship
CAREER RELATED EXPERIENCE
2009 - Present: Self-Employed Studio Artist:
Sculpture, Painting/Drawing, Digital and Animation.
Jan. 2007 - Nov. 2008: Lead Character Artist, Midway Games, Chicago, IL
2003 - 2006 CG Animator, Department of Planning and Design, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL
1999 - 2003 Fabrication Coordinator, Department of Planning and Design, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL
1999 Visiting Artist, University of Washington, Ceramics Dept., Seattle, WA
1997 Visiting Artist, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ceramics Department, Chicago, IL
1993 Visiting Artist, Kishwaukee College, Sculpture Dept., Malta, IL
1993-99 Freelance Sculptor for Museum Exhibits at:
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL
Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL
Spertus Museum, Chicago, IL
1985-86 Studio Assistant Manager, Ceramic Department, Appalachian Center for Arts and Crafts, Smithville, TN
1981-84 Freelance Sculptor for Exhibits at Australian Country Music Wax Museum, Tamworth, Australia and
the Country Music Wax Museum, Nashville