Frank Sheriff

Metal Sculpture

BIOGRAPHY
 

I was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1957, the son of a father whose professional baseball ambitions were put on hold when he was drafted not by the Cubs but by the U.S. Army and stationed in Kobe, Japan. My mother was a Japanese-American whose family moved to Japan after being released from the Crystal City Internment Camp. My father was a civilian employee with the military until his death in 1980. Growing up we moved about every three years living in Japan, Nevada, California, New York, Texas, North Carolina and Hawaii where I graduated from Kaiser High School in 1975. I spent the summer in Korea before starting college at Oregon State University.

I studied forestry and worked at the craft center were I learned ceramics and photography. Dissatisfied with the forestry program I dropped out of school and lived what I consider my Tom Sawyer years, 3 years of fishing, hiking, river rafting, taking life in and mostly just having fun.

It was while working on a tree planting crew I had what I consider my epiphany. Standing on the side of a mountain in the middle of a clear cut I had stopped to wipe the steam and mud off my glasses and had a thought of being an artist living in a cabin making art, sending it into the city and receiving a check in the mail. It sounded much easier than digging in the mud in the middle of winter planting trees. Little did I know…

 I had started taking art classes at OSU when my father died and I returned to Hawaii to help my mom. I enrolled at the University of Hawaii and earned a BFA in 1984 and MFA in 1989. I received the Art Department’s Outstanding Achievement Scholarship and spent five months traveling throughout Europe and working as an artist in residence with the University of Georgia’s Study Abroad Program in Cortona. 

Upon my return to Hawaii I worked at Kapiolani Community College as the Koa Gallery Director. The time this position required made it hard to pursue my art career and I decided to work part time as a lecturer with the UH Sculpture Program instead. I have been with the sculpture program ever since. 

My career highlights include the aforementioned residency in Italy, artist in residence with the Kohler Arts/Industry program, visiting professor at the University of Arizona, public sculpture projects and the Individual Artist Visual Arts Fellowship with the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.  Exhibitions include: The Contemporary Museum Biennial of Hawaii Artists II, Enriched by Diversity: The Art of Hawaii at the Hawaii State Art Museum, 2300°F-2002 at Grounds For Sculpture, Johnson Atelier, New Jersey, Featured Artist in the 36^th Annual Hawaii Craftsman Exhibition and Invited Artist at the Artists of Hawaii 2005 Exhibition.

Ark
 

Supplicant Frog 2
 

Ano Lani; Ano Honua

EDUCATION University of Hawaii
M.F.A., 1989, B.F.A., 1984

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2003 – 2006 Lecturer, University of Hawaii

1990 – 2001 Metal Fabrication, Metal Casting, Small Scale Sculpture
Introduction to 3-D Composition

2001 – 2002 Visiting Professor, University of Arizona
Spring 2000 Metal Casting, Beginning Sculpture, 3-D Concepts Graduate Seminar

1989-1993 Lecturer, Kapiolani Community College
Director, Koa Gallery
Introduction to Sculpture

· Matrix and Matter, Proprietor, a business providing sculpture design, fabrication, mold making and associated services to the Hawaii arts community. 1989-present

· Sculpture Maintenance Specialist, Mayor’s Office For Culture And The Arts, City and County of Honolulu, 1998–present

· Travel/Research, The Bronze Casting Tradition of Laos, Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Laos PDR, July-October and November-December 2002

· Assistant Director, Hemenway Crafts Center, University of Hawaii, 1987-1988

· Exhibition Specialist, Art In Public Places, The State Foundation On Culture And The Arts, Hawaii, 1983-1984

· The Department of Education-Artists in the Schools Program and The State Foundation for Culture and the Arts, Princess Kaiulani School, New Millennium Sky, 2000

· The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, University of Hawaii Student Services Building, Mind and Heart, 1995

· Hawaii Community Development Authority, Kewalo Basin Park, ‘Ano Lani; ‘Ano Honua (A Heavenly Nature; An Earthly Nature), 1993

· Artists as Educators Workshop, State of Hawaii Department of Education, October 2002

· Coordinator, Big Iron 2002, Sand Molds and Cast Iron Pour, University of Arizona, May 2002

· Visiting Artist, Sculpture Workshops, Artists in the Schools-Department of Education, Princess Kaiulani School, Honolulu, Fall 2000

· Desert Iron, Cast Iron Workshop with Kevin Shunn, Arizona State University

April 2000

· Hot and Heavy, Cast Iron Workshop with Kevin Shunn, San Jose State University, March 2000

· Visiting Artist, Metal Casting Workshop, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Wisconsin, September 1999

· Coordinator, Patina Workshop with Ron Young, University of Hawaii, August 1994

· Visiting Artist, Film Animation Workshops, Artists in the Schools-Department of Education, Gifted and Talented Children Program, Honolulu, Spring 1984 and 1985

2007 Frogtown, solo exhibition, town restaurant, Honolulu

Dog Gone Days, invitational exhibition, The Gallery at Ward Centre, Honolulu

Island 2 Island, group exhibition, The University of Hawaii Art Gallery, traveling

2006 Life Lessons: Part 4, The Unexpected, solo exhibition, Gallery on the Pali, Honolulu

The 9th International Shoebox Exhibition, invitational exhibition, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, traveling, catalog

2005 Lefty, solo exhibition, thirtyninehotel Gallery, Honolulu

Instrument, invitational exhibition, Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center, Maui

Artists of Hawaii 2005, 55th Annual Exhibition, Invited Artist, The Honolulu Academy of Arts

Labor and Leisure, invitational exhibition, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, Tom Klobe, curator

2004 Inner Scapes, group exhibition, Hawaii State Art Museum, Honolulu

2003 36th Annual Hawaii Craftsmen Exhibition, Featured Artist, The Academy Art Center at Linekona, Honolulu

Nikakai 2003 Exhibition, invitational exhibition, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, September 2003

The 8th International Shoebox Exhibition, invitational exhibition, University of Hawaii Art Gallery, traveling, catalog

Surf Culture: The Art History Of Surfing, invitational exhibition, The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu

2002 2300°F-2002, invitational exhibition, Grounds For Sculpture, Johnson Atelier, Mercerville, New Jersey, Kathleen Whitney, curator

Fully Furnished, invitational exhibition, Joseph Gross Gallery, University of Arizona, Tucson

2001 Yuji Hiratsuki and Frank Sheriff, Gallery of Contemporary and Indigenous Art (GOCAIA), Tucson, Arizona

2000 Then And Now, invitational exhibition, The Gallery of Contemporary and Indigenous Art (GOCAIA), Tucson, Arizona

Commitment To Excellence, Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Amfac Plaza Gallery, Honolulu

Teacher

This Must Be Nirvana