Jon Robert Havener

Jon Havener studied silver and goldsmithing at the Cleveland Art Institute in Cleveland, graduating with a B.F.A. in 1973; he got an M.F.A. in metalsmithing in 1975 at the Cranbrook Art Academy Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He has taught metalsmithing and jewelry in the design department at the University of Kansas since 1977.

Jon's work with holloware in the early 1980s has evolved into smithed and fabricated sculpture that has been exhibited nationally in galleries and competitive exhibitions.

His work is included in various public collections: The City of Lawrence, Kan.; The City of Manhattan, Kan.; Florida A & M University; The University of Nebraska, Omaha; The United States Comptroller of Currency, Kansas City, Mo.; and the Boatman's Bank, Clayton, Mo. His work is also featured in several private collections, notably commissioned fountains, and works on the wall.

Jon has received several awards and grants for his work, including the Regional Award in Sculpture from the Mid-American Art Allliance and The National Endowment for the Arts in 1985, five research awards from the University of Kansas, and the 1998 Kansas Artists Fellowship in Sculpture.

Jon says his work has evolved from an interest in antiquity and ancient metalwork, and frequently utilizes armor forms. "I enjoy manipulating metal into complex structures that evoke a sense of drama and history," he says. "My sculptures are often highly gestural, expressing a turbulent energy through growth-like movements."