Olin L. Russum, Olin Russum

1918 Born Bangor, Maine

1998 Died Brooklandville, Maryland

EDUCATION

1940 BA University of Southern California, Santa Barbara, California

1948 MFA Claremont Universities, Claremont, California

APPRENTICESHIPS AND RESIDENCIES

1962, 1963 and 1965 Artist in Residence, Towson University, Towson, Maryland

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1946-1948-Chaffey College, Ontario, Canada

1948-1951- School of the American Craftsman, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York

1953—Studio potter

Teacher Pottery classes, Baltimore Museum of Art

Biography

Olin Russum is known for work which ranges from functional pieces with sculptural references to non-functional ceramic sculptures.

His functional work was typically thrown, often altered, and finished with classic over glazes. The sculptural pieces were given applied clay surfaces reminiscent of fish scales. He was perhaps best known for large bas-relief wall murals some of these had 3-dimentional sculptural forms emerging from the surface.