Recognized as one of 15 artists featured in "Artistic Talents of Ohio" in 2017, Mr. Westgerdes has been the recipient of several awards and recognitions for his work as well.
MEDFORD, OR, June 13, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Gerald Lee Westgerdes with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Westgerdes celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Westgerdes is an innovative sculptor who taught as a professor of art at Ohio University in Zanesville, OH, for close to 15 years. Retired since 2007, he also taught at Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, MI, for 19 years and served as division chairman for ten years. Prior to entering academia, Mr. Westgerdes was an instructor at the Los Angeles Community Adult School and taught at Dubnoff School in North Hollywood, CA. His deep love for art is what inspired him all these years to pay it forward as a teacher.
In 2006, Mr. Westgerdes had a solo exhibition at the Zanesville Art Center, which was titled "Passages and Tributes." His sculptures have also been on display across the nation, including a life size bronze figure of Johnny Appleseed at the entrance of the Duncan Falls Library in Ohio, a cemetery memorial sculpture of a bronze angel in Zanesville, and a large-scale outdoor sculpture outside of St. Barbara Church in Colin, MI, among others. Some of his pieces have also been commissioned over the years.
Recognized as one of 15 artists featured in "Artistic Talents of Ohio" in 2017, Mr. Westgerdes has been the recipient of several awards and recognitions for his work as well. He won First Prize for the 14th Annual Ecclesiastical Art Exhibition, Historic Trinity, in Detroit in 2000 and Second Place at the Eight Annual National Ecclesiastical Art Exhibit, Historic Trinity, in 1994. He also received two Special Recognition Awards, one for Outstanding and Invaluable Service to Zanesville Community by the U.S. Congress in 2007 and one for Contribution for Historic Artwork Preservation of Artwork by the City of Kalamazoo in 1993. He also received a Best of Show Award by the Michigan Art Education Association in 1980. In addition to his awards, one of Mr. Westgerdes sculpted pieces was photographed and selected to appear on the cover of a National Sourcebook of Artists and Artisans, titled "The Guild 8" in 1993, and for many years between 1980 and 2006, he wrote and directed numerous state and local grants that emphasized art awareness and benefited civic communities.
During his career, Mr. Westgerdes was involved with the College Art Association and the Foundation in Art: Theory and Education. He also spent many years as a member of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, as a member of the board of trustees for the Zanesville Art Center, member of the Pioneer and Historical Society of Muskingum County and member of the Zanesville Appalachian Arts Project. In 1988, he spent one year as the director of photography for the Art Exchange between the Sister Cities of Kalamazoo and Numazu, Japan.
Mr. Westgerdes received a Bachelor of Science in art education at the University of Dayton in 1964 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts at the Otis College of Art and Design in 1971 and 1973, respectively. Serving his country in the U.S. Army, he received a Decorated Army Commendation Medal for his contributions. Married to his wife Marilyn Freed since 1971 with three children, Mr. Westgerdes said that it was his family that has been instrumental to his success, the motivating force behind his career and his inspiration.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Gerald Lee Westgerdes has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
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