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Michael A. Dunbar, Sculptor
Michael Austin Dunbar is an American sculptor known for his monumental works of public art. Brown, R (2006). "Size of the Moon", Scientific American, 51(78)

Born, September 21, 1947, Santa Paula, California,.

Education
1973, B.A. Degree, Visual Arts, Illinois State University Normal, Illinois 1976, M.A Degree, Arts Management, University of Illinois, Springfield, Illinois 1980 M.S. Degree Studio Art, Illinois State University, Normal Illinois

Art Administrator
1974 - 1975, Director, Illinois State Fair Professional Art Exhibition Produced Exhibition, generated additional funds for awards, established Governors Purchase Award, presented and documented the artwork assembled through a state wide competition of Illinois Artists, assembled and coordinated a traveling exhibition of artwork.

1975 - 1977, Director of the Galesburg Arts Council, Galesburg, Illinois Produced Large Scale Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Three Tinsley’s in Galesburg.

1977 - 20DATE, Coordinator, Art-in-Architecture Program, of the Capital Development Board for the State of Illinois Served as the first Coordinator of the program, Established the guidelines, procedures, and contracts for the newly enacted program. Produced the Illinois % for Art Dedication Exhibition, a six month long exhibit, of large-scale outdoor sculpture for the grounds of the Illinois Department of Transportation Building. On display were sculptures by Illinois artists, Richard Hunt, Jerry Peart, Barry Tinsley, John Henry, Bruce White, Tom Scarff, Virginio Ferrari, Ed McCullough, Maryrose Carrol and a number of other Illinois sculptors. Commissioned major works by Don Baum, Roger Brown Ruth Duckworth, Roland Ginzel, John Henry, Richard Hunt, Miyoko Ito, Ellen Lanyon, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Ed Paschke, Carl Wirsum, Claire Zeisler and over a hundred other Illinois artists in painting, prints, drawing, photography, sculpture, fibers, ceramics and glass, specifically for the Illinois Collection for the State of Illinois Center in Chicago. (8.) Represented the State of Illinois on the committee that traveled to Paris France to meet with Jean Dubuffet. Responsible for negotiating the purchase of Dubuffet’s last monumental sculpture, Monument with Standing Beast, for the plaza of the State of Illinois Center in Chicago. (7 a. b. c. d.) Conducted the competition and assembled and catalogued a collection of seven large sculptures by, Christine Martens, Terry Karpowicz, Virginio Ferrari, Joe Agati, Keith Knoblock, Melotte Morse and Bruce White for the Willard Ice Building, in Springfield, Illinois. (9.a. b.) Conducted the Sculpture for the New Millennium sculpture competition. Over a five year period, the Art-in-Architecture program commissioned major outdoor sculptures by Ruth Duckworth, Richard Hunt, John Adduci, Mike Baur, Roger Blakley, Bill Carlson Ed McCullough, Christine Martens, Terry Karpowicz, Tony Tasset, Dan Peterman, Peter Fagan, Dann Nardi, Steve Waldeck, Barry Tinsley, Steve Lueking, Christine Tarkowski, Gene Horvath, Bruce White, Tom Skomski, Patrick Mc Donald, Tom Scarff, Preston Jackson, Christine Rojek, and a number of other sculptors for public collections at universities and colleges throughout the State of Illinois. (14.a. b.) 1984, Co-Founder, Chicago Sculpture Society Richard Hunt, Barry Tinsley, Steve Waldeck and Michael Dunbar created the Chicago Sculpture Society, organizing a number of exhibitions in and around the Chicago area including the Chicago Sculpture Society Exhibition at the Chain of Lakes Cultural Center, in Libertyville, in 1984 and the Centennial Sculpture Exhibition at Augustana Hospital at Chicago in 1985.

1994, President, Association of Corporate Art Curators A national organization committed to promoting the highest standards and procedures for the benefit of the members assembling corporate art collections.

1995 to 1999, Board of Directors of the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria Served as one of the founding members of the Board of Directors of the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria where he created the center’s first exhibition, Visual Images/Mental Dialogue featuring the works of Francis Whitehead, Thomas Skomski and Adams Brooks. He also produced solo exhibits of the work of Bob Emser, and Terry Karpowicz, before stepping off the board in 1999. (15.16.17 18.) 1995, Founding President of 3-D Chicago The not-for-profit organization established to produce and promote the Pier Walk exhibitions. Responsibilities included generating operational funds through contributions from Sears Roebuck and Company, American Airlines, The Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Department of Economic Development, Illinois Capitol Development Board, The Chicago Metropolitan Pier Authority, City of Chicago, and private patrons. Generated funds for the 3-D Chicago delegation to travel to Europe to recruit the top sculptors of the world to exhibit their art work at Navy Pier. (20.a. b. c. d.) 1995, Creator and Co-producer, Pier Walk, Chicago, Illinois Created and along with fellow artist, Terry Karpowicz, co-produced Pier Walk, a venue that challenged sculptors from around the world to exhibit their artwork in Chicago. Over a six year period, recruited or conducted the selection process for as many as 450 works by nationally and internationally known sculptors for exhibition at Chicago’s historic Navy Pier. Created and produced full color illustrated catalogues for each year’s exhibits from 1996-2000. (19.) Traveled to Paris, France to meet Mark di Suvero and invite him to premier his latest monumental sculpture, Mother Theresa, in Chicago for Pier Walk’ 98. (21.) Led a 3-D Chicago delegation to travel to London, England to meet Anthony Caro to invite him to premier his largest monumental sculpture, Goodwood Steps, as the featured international artist for Pier Walk’ 99. (23.) Traveled to San Sebastian, Spain to meet with Eduardo Chillida to invite him as the featured international artist to premier, Escuchando a la Piedra V, in Chicago for Pier Walk’ 2000. The Pier Walk exhibitions evolved into the “World’s Largest Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition” showcasing public sculpture to more than 9 million viewers each year. (25.)

2000, Producer, Six American Sculptors in Rome Exhibition, Rome, Italy Responsible for generating funding through grants from the Illinois Arts Council and American Airlines for the transportation and exhibition of outdoor sculpture by Christine Rojek, Mike Baur, Tom Scarff, Bob Emser, Virginio Ferrari and Michael Dunbar

Sculptor
From 1977 to 1986, built large scale sculptures at the Stone Works Studio in Springfield, Illinois. Finishing up the 16 ft. tall sculpture River Crossing, in 1986, after the closing of the Stone Works Studio, Dunbar redefined his approach to building sculpture by working with industrial firms capable of fabricating his work on a monumental scale. Dunbar has maintained an active career as a sculptor producing a commanding body of more than 36 large-scale works of public sculpture for placement throughout the country. Including: •	Kettering University, Flint Michigan •	Krasl Art Center, St. Joseph, Michigan •	Monticello Sculpture Gardens, Lewis & Clark Community College, Godfrey, Illinois •	Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at Governor State University, Chicago Heights, Illinois •	Oakton Community College, Skokie, Illinois •	Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, Illinois •	Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center, Schaumburg, Illinois •	Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois •	Tarble Art Center, Charleston, Illinois •	University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois •	University of Notre Dame, South Bend Indiana •	University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, Wisconsin •	Wandell Sculpture Garden, Meadowbrook Park, Urbana, Illinois •	Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois

Commissions
2004, Commissioned to create the sculpture, Euclid’s Cross for Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton, Ohio. A tribute to the father of geometry, Euclid’ Cross is one of the largest and most complex bronze sculpture created by Dunbar to date. Standing 21 feet tall by 18 ft wide by 30 ft long and weighing 16 tons, the sculpture was fabricated from plate bronze with a stainless steel superstructure. (30.)

2012 Commissioned to create the 14 foot tall, 3 ½ ton bronze sculpture Touched by the Sun for the entrance plaza of the Sioux City Art Center, in Sioux City, Iowa. An exhibition of twelve bronze Machinist Studies accompanied the dedication of the outdoor sculpture.

Exhibitions
2011, Solo exhibition, Instrumental Transitions, a collection of bronze Machinist Studies exhibited at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey. (37.) 2012, Solo exhibition, Explorations in Space, displayed six outdoor bronze sculptures on the grounds of the Flint Institute of Arts in Flint, Michigan museum along with ten bronze Machinist Studies presented in the museum’s Contemporary Gallery. (38.)

Book
In 2006, Dunbar was the subject of the book, Michael Dunbar by Suzanne Deats. The New York Art Dealer, Andre Emmrich stated in the foreword, “Euclid’s Cross now has pride of place in the new Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton, Ohio, near Cincinnati.” “Its glowing bronze constituent elements, rising to twenty one feet in height, will be a beacon both literally and figuratively capturing space and light. It promises to become what curators call a pilgrimage piece, a sculpture which people will go out of their way to see.” (31.)

Awards
Dunbar has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognition including the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant Recipient; Illinois Arts Council, Artist Grant Recipient; Illinois Arts Council, Governors Art Award Commission; and the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Dunbar continues to be listed as a Who’s Who in American Art since 1984.