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Jim LaPaso
Born May 25, 1944 in Joliet, IL
Born into an artistic family, LaPaso began sculpting at a very early age. As an adolescent he spent a lot of time in a local quarry digging up clay and making things for friends and family. His father, a master woodworker, taught him how to work with wood, build furniture and the craft of woodcarving.
In 1972 he enrolled at the Hill Fine Art Center where he studied under the renowned metal sculptor Orion Hargett. Although he started out taking lessons at “The Hill” he went on to teach photography and wood sculpture there and at Joliet Junior College and eventually came to own and operate the Hill Fine Art Center until 1982. In those years he made and taught wood sculpture.
In 1982 he moved to Buda, TX, a small community of artists and craftsmen just outside of Austin and continued his woodworking. In 1998 he became interested in kinetic sculpture after seeing a piece designed by George Rickey at the McNay Museum of fine art in San Antoinio, TX. He was fascinated with all of the different design mechanism, from Calder’s mobiles to George Rickey’s conical movement and everything in between. After some intensive study of the masters of kinetic art, he decided to channel all of his energy into embracing that medium and credits his mentors with giving him a never ending pallet with which to stretch his imagination.
In the beginning he used copper for his sculptures but soon changed to stainless steel. He loved the idea of taking this heavy and seemingly unyielding metal and transforming it into a sculpute that floats like a feather.
He has been very fortunate to have had shows and commissions in Santa Fe and Taos, NM, New Orleans, LA, Houston, TX, Nashville, TN, Austin TX, Sonoma. CA, Wimberley, TX, Fontana, CA, Johnson City, TX, and has sold pieces to clients around the world.
In 2008 he had the honor of being chosen by the McNay Fine Art Museum in San Antonio, TX to teach a kinetic sculpture workshop to 50 art teachers in preparation for their George Rickey exhibit.
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