Jack Shapiro

I was introduced to ceramics in the mid-1970s, and became hooked, first by the range of possible forms, and also by the modern science that explains this ancient art (related to my professional background in metallurgy.) Over time, I emphasized sculpture and the figure and took courses from 1988 on. As I gained skill, I took on the next challenge of getting that clay to express the motion and emotion of dance. I have been very fortunate to be able to attend Sarasota Contemporary Dance rehearsals for inspiration and working with some of their dancers have resulted in vibrant collaborations.

All sales of my art (beyond major expenses, e.g., gallery commissions and casting foundry fees) support non-profits. Sarasota Contemporary Dance is a current recipient.

Courses

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL 1988
- Figure and portrait sculpture

Kalamazoo Institute of Art
- Figure sculpture with Jose Cobo, 1995

Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota FL, with Wilfred Stedman, MD, Jack Dowd, Aaron Board, 2001-2013
- Anatomy for artists
- Portrait sculpture
- Figure sculpture

Ceramic science - Self-taught

Prostate Cancer Research Benefit, South Haven, MI Aug. 24-6, 2001

Sculpture: a Spectrum, South Haven Center for the Arts, Sept. 22 to Nov. 6, 2006

South Haven Center for the Arts Members Shows, various from 1990 to 2012

Players Theater, Sarasota, FL, a benefit for Fuzion Dance Artists, May 1-3, 2009

South Haven Center for the Arts 4x6 Show, 2010

Art Ovation Hotel Exhibit and Residency, January 2020