Robert Ebendorf (born September 30, 1938) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

metalsmith A metalsmith or simply smith is a craftsperson fashioning useful items (for example, tools, kitchenware, tableware, jewelry, armor and weapons) out of various metals. Smithing is one of the oldest list of metalworking occupations, metalworking o ...

and jeweler, known for craft, art and studio jewelry, often using found objects. In 2003–2004, the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...

organized an exhibition of 95 pieces, titled ''The Jewelry of Robert Ebendorf: A Retrospective of Forty Years''.

Biography

Born on September 30, 1938, in

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...

, the son of Dr. Harry Ebendorf and Nomah Large, a homemaker. Starting at a young age, his father would take him to his paternal grandparent's tailor shop. There he would watch them work together, creating articles of clothing. He credits the time spent there, and his mother, with helping create his sensitivity to the world around him and leading him to choose a career in art. Academics challenged Ebendorf due to a learning disability,

dyslexia Dyslexia, also known until the 1960s as word blindness, is a disorder characterized by reading below the expected level for one's age. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, r ...

. However he excelled at sports, and was offered full scholarships for wrestling and football. With the encouragement of his high school art teacher, he instead decided to pursue art and chose to attend the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

where he received a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

degree in 1960, and a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

degree in 1963. He was influenced by the jewelry designed by Irena Brynner and by Scandinavian art. After graduation, Ebendorf received a

Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

Grant to study abroad at the State School of Applied Arts and Crafts in

Oslo, Norway Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of i ...

. He returned to Norway again in 1965 when he was awarded a

Louis Comfort Tiffany Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art NouveauL ...

Foundation grant. He stayed there until 1966, working in Fredikstad at Norway Silver Designs. From 1967 until 1971, Ebendorf taught at the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

. Starting in 1970, Ebendorf joined

Kurt Matzdorf Kurt J. Matzdorf, also known as Kurtheinz J. Matzdorf (1922 – 2008), was a German-born American jewelry designer, metalsmith (which included silversmith, goldsmith) and an educator. He was Professor Emeritus at State University of New York at ...

in the metals department at

State University of New York at New Paltz The State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz or New Paltz) is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It traces its origins to the New Paltz Classical School, a secondary institution founded in 1828 and reorganized as an a ...

(SUNY New Paltz), where he remained until 1988. In 1999, he was named the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Art at the

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...

School of Art and Design. and is a board member of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Recognition

The Smithsonian exhibition was held in the

Renwick Gallery The Renwick Gallery is a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum located in Washington, D.C. that displays American craft and decorative arts from the 19th to 21st century. The gallery is housed in a National Historic Landmark building that ...

and traveled to other museums. Ebendorf's work has been published extensively, and displayed in galleries around the world. He was one of the founding members of the in 1970, and is an inductee of the National Metalsmiths Hall of Fame. In addition to the Fulbright Scholarship and Louis Comfort Tiffany Grant, Ebendorf has received a National Endowment for the Arts Award, and American Crafts Council Award, and in 2005 was named a Master of the Medium by the Renwick Alliance. In 2014, Ebendorf was given the Society of North American Goldsmith's Lifetime Achievement Award The

has four, the

Metropolitan Museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

has five, the Asheville Art Museum has two, and the

Museum of Arts and Design The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), based in Manhattan, New York City, collects, displays, and interprets objects that document contemporary and historic innovation in craft, art, and design. In its exhibitions and educational programs, the mus ...

has two Ebendorf pieces in their permanent collections.

Notes

External links

*A Creative Excuse podcast interview with Bob Ebendorf, May 2019 - https://hechoamano.org/bob-ebendorf *Smithsonian ''Archives of American Art'' Interview with Robert Ebendorf conducted by Tracey Rosolowski - http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/transcripts/ebendo04.htm *Video of Ebendorf leading a jewelry making workshop at Bear Canyon School of Art and Craft. Uploaded Dec 2010 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3BSgdAwD6E *East Carolina University "Art's Thread" Student Program, guest Robert Ebendorf, uploaded Nov 2008 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL9f9idLKtM *North Carolina Arts Council - Video Interview of Bob Ebendorf, Uploaded Nov 2009 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0nj58QUPTE {{DEFAULTSORT:Ebendorf, Robert 1938 births Living people East Carolina University faculty American jewellers University of Kansas alumni Artists from Topeka, Kansas