Hickory Rotary welcomed world renowned sculpture Jon Hair as the featured speaker Thursday. Jon Hair has fulfilled more than 80 public art commissions since beginning his career in 2000, a legendary accomplishment unequaled among sculptors.
Jon would like to build North Carolina’s Premiere art attraction in Hickory, NC. If successful, the area would be host to some of Jon’s finest work, including 50 monumental sculptures, 25 historical figure sculptures, a sculpture studio with 35 large original clay sculptures on display, and a bronze foundry which will allow visitors to watch bronze being cast.
Jon recently completed a twelve foot stone statue of German religious reformer Martin Luther. The statue was commissioned by Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC . Founded in 1891 by four Lutheran pastors, the school is a comprehensive liberal arts institution, enrolling some 1,500 students in more than 60 undergraduate degree programs and master’s degree programs.
Use this link to view Jon Hair’s Sculptures Presentation
In just 13 years sculptor Jon hair built NC’s most profitable art studio. His clients include the Cities of Beijing and Shanghai, The US Olympic Committee, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (The Emmys), The US Air Force Academy, MGM and 35 American Colleges and Universities. 
Jon has won eight national competitions in the last five years including commissions for Emory & Henry College in Virginia, California State University at Northridge, The University of Cincinnati, The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, NC State University, the Town of Chino Valley, Arizona and the City of Wilmington, Delaware and the State of Indiana.
He has sculpted portraits of such celebrities as Dick Van Dyke, Ted Turner and Poker Super Stars Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson and Annie Duke. Jon majored in Fine Arts at The Ohio State University and Advertising Design at The Columbus College of Art & Design. He taught art and design classes at The University of Akron, where he also served on the Board of Advisors for the College of Fine Arts.
Early in his art career, Jon built a reputation as one of the most award-winning Art Directors and Designers in the country, including a Gold Award in the prestigious Broadcast Design Art Directors’ International Design Competition. His clients included IBM, GE, Husqvarna and Siemens. A lover of letterforms, he has also designed and published original typefaces and is also a published cartoonist. An accomplished musician, Jon worked with such noted performers as Simon and Garfunkel, Jonathan Edwards and The Main Ingredient before pursuing a career in art. He includes jamming with Jimi Hendrix as one of the highlights of his career.
In 2003, Jon was honored by the US Olympic Committee and named an Official Sculptor of both The US Olympic Team and The US Olympic Committee. He is the only artist in the history of the US Olympics to be awarded these honorary titles. He is a Colleague of the National Sculpture Society and a Member of Allied Artists of America.
For more information, visit www.johnhair.com.
