PRESTON JACKSON

Born in 1944 in Decatur, Illinois, Jackson received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1972 where he studied under Frank Gallo.  He served as a Professor of Art (sculpture, painting, drawing) at Western Illinois University from 1972 to 1989.  In 1989, he joined the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) as Professor of Sculpture; he served as the Institute's Chair of the Sculpture Department from 1994 to 1996 and is a Professor Emeritus at SAIC.  He was the recipient of the 1998 Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois (Order of Lincoln). 

Jackson is the owner of The Raven Gallery / Contemporary Art Center in Peoria, Illinois.  He works in bronze and steel sculpture, and painting; in addition, he is a noted jazz guitarist.  His art style ranges from abstraction to emotionally-charged realism.  Jackson's work often explores African American history, heritage, and resilience.   Please see The Art of Preston Jackson to learn more about his career and view an expanded gallery of his sculptures, paintings, and monument work. 

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Enjoy the accompanying interview with Preston Jackson presented by the Urbana Park District, Urbana, Illinois.  

GEORGE LUNDEEN

Born in 1948, a native of Holdrege, Nebraska, Lundeen was a Fulbright-Hayes Scholar studying at the Academia de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy.  He earned a masters in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1973 where he studied under Frank Gallo.  He established his sculpting studio in Loveland, Colorado, in the mid-1970s where he currently lives and works.  He is best known for bronze sculptures, both public monuments and smaller pieces and has created works for universities, municipalities, corporations, and foundations.  He is a Member of the National Academy of Design and a Member of the National Sculpture Society.

His works are characterized by figurative realism, often focused on human emotion, gesture, and narrative.  He frequently sculpts historical figures, everyday people, and interpretive works.  Please see Lundeen Sculpture to learn more about his career and view an expanded gallery of his sculptures.  

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In the accompanying article, Lundeen details his circuitous route to studying under Frank Gallo as well as their lifelong relationship:  "He continued to be my mentor all through my graduate work at Illinois.  His family became my family and his influence on my work can still be seen 50 years later.  Through the years, our friendship continued.  Frank's support wisdom, expertise and friendship could always be counted on."

The News-Gazette Champaign-Urbana, 09-14-2024 Frank Gallo Archives  (Download here)

JOSEPH GALLO

Born in 1958 in Toledo, Ohio, Gallo has been an experimental printmaker for over 35 years.  He is deeply experienced in paper-making techniques, largely forged via his 25 plus year education and partnership with his father, Frank Gallo (aka the "The Father of Cast Paper Sculpture").  His art displays a wondrous command of color, one which rivals, and perhaps surpasses, that of his father.  

From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, their co-founded Editions in Cast Paper studio and production facility in Urbana, IL, defined the cast paper sculpture genre in the United States and beyond.  Gallo describes his artistic driving force as “the endless path of discovery. . . . through experimentation."  He currently works as an artist and designer in Urbana, Illinois.