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We are saddened to learn about the passing of artist Jim Melchert (1930-2023), a central figure in the Bay Area art community. Melchert began his career teaching ceramics at Carthage College in the 1950s. Originally trained in fine art, Melchert enrolled in a summer class taught by ceramicist Peter Voulkos, leading Melchert to develop an interest in abstract expressionism. Melchert moved to the Bay Area in the late 1950s and began teaching first at UC Berkeley then the San Francisco Art Institute. In 1976, Melchert became the director of the visual arts program at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C., the first artist to be appointed to the position. Then in 1981, he was named director of the American Academy in Rome, where he cultivated an interest in ceramic tiles. His piece "Riven/River," a fantastic example of his signature abstract expressionism style incorporated into ceramic tiles, is located the post-security connector between Harvey Milk Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. https://bit.ly/3IYl4mM
This image was posted on June 07, 2023.