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for Jack Bookbinder
American, 1911 - 1993
Although born abroad, Bookbinder's life and career are wholely association with the city of Philadelphia. He studied there at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1930 to 1934, and at the University of Pennsylvania, from which he received the B. S. degree in Education, in 1934; and in 1946, he received the M. F. A. degree from the Tyler School, Temple University.
He has pursued dual careers throughout his life: educator and artist.
Initially he taught art at the adult, professional level as a lecturer at the Barnes Foundation, in the Philadelphia suburb, Marion, Pennsylvania, from 1937 to 1944; and at the University of Pennsylvania, 1946-59, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 1949-61. But it is the art education of young people to which Bookbinder devoted the greater part of his service as teacher. He was consultant to the education department of the Philadelphia Museum of art, and assistant to the director of art education in the Philadelphia public school system, before his appointment as director of the city's art education program in 1959, a post he retained to his retirement in 1977. Among his publications are Invitation to the Arts, 1944, and The Gifted Child: His Education In the Philadelphia Public Schools, 1956, both published by the Philadelphia Public Schools.
Bookbinder works in the watercolor, and lithograpic media as well as oil and casein. It was not until late 1940s that he began to participate extensively in exhibitions, and his work has been widely shown, and frequently honored since. Among his awards are Lambert purchase prizes from the Pennsylvania Academy, 1947 and 1953; Pennell awards from the Philadelphia Watercolor Club, 1957 and 1983; Lee award, 1961, and Osborn award, 1968, from the American Watercolor Society; Katzman award, from the Philadelphia Print Club, 1973 and 1974. One-man exhibitions of his work were presented by the Pennsylvania Academy in 1952 and in 1984; and a retrospecive exhibition was mounted by the William Penn Memorial Museum, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1973.
In 1976 the Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, conveyed an honorary doctorate degree upon Bookbinder.
He has pursued dual careers throughout his life: educator and artist.
Initially he taught art at the adult, professional level as a lecturer at the Barnes Foundation, in the Philadelphia suburb, Marion, Pennsylvania, from 1937 to 1944; and at the University of Pennsylvania, 1946-59, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts 1949-61. But it is the art education of young people to which Bookbinder devoted the greater part of his service as teacher. He was consultant to the education department of the Philadelphia Museum of art, and assistant to the director of art education in the Philadelphia public school system, before his appointment as director of the city's art education program in 1959, a post he retained to his retirement in 1977. Among his publications are Invitation to the Arts, 1944, and The Gifted Child: His Education In the Philadelphia Public Schools, 1956, both published by the Philadelphia Public Schools.
Bookbinder works in the watercolor, and lithograpic media as well as oil and casein. It was not until late 1940s that he began to participate extensively in exhibitions, and his work has been widely shown, and frequently honored since. Among his awards are Lambert purchase prizes from the Pennsylvania Academy, 1947 and 1953; Pennell awards from the Philadelphia Watercolor Club, 1957 and 1983; Lee award, 1961, and Osborn award, 1968, from the American Watercolor Society; Katzman award, from the Philadelphia Print Club, 1973 and 1974. One-man exhibitions of his work were presented by the Pennsylvania Academy in 1952 and in 1984; and a retrospecive exhibition was mounted by the William Penn Memorial Museum, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1973.
In 1976 the Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, conveyed an honorary doctorate degree upon Bookbinder.
