Andrew Rush
Rancho Linda Vista, P.O.Box 160
Oracle, Arizona, 85623
(520) 896-2446
SUMMARY RESUME
PERSONAL BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
Born in 1931, grew
up in the Midwest, principally St. Louis
Worked as a ranch hand in Colorado during teen years
Bachelor of Fine Arts with honors from the University of Illinois, 1953
Infantry Lieutenant in Japan and Korea, U.S. Marine Corps, 1953-1955
Master of Fine Arts, with special honors, from the University of Iowa,
1958
Fulbright Grant to Florence, Italy, studying printmaking, 1958/9
Four children from a first marriage to Jean Cochran Rush; now married
to Ann Woodin, author.
TEACHING, CONSULTING, CURATOR EXPERIENCE
1957-8 Assistant
& Instructor in printmaking, The University of Iowa
1959-70 Associate Professor of Art, The University of Arizona
1960-63 Co-Director, The Rockefeller Foundation Indian Art Project
1966-67 Director, The University of Arizona Summer Residence Program
in printmaking in Florence Italy
1992-date Founder & Director, The Drawing Studio, Tucson
In 1970 Rush resigned his post at the University of Arizona. In 1969 he
joined the Rancho Linda Vista group to establish and develop it into the
Community of the Arts that it is today. During the next decade he taught
short workshops & master classes at numerous Art Schools, such as:
Ohio State Univ., U. of Arkansas, U. of Denver, U. Cal. at Santa Barbara,
Colorado College, Prescott College, Northern Arizona U., etc. Out of this
overview of professional artists education in action, Rush invented several
short courses exploring the parameters of art learning, the relationship
of art to community, and new approaches to studio practice. Some of these
were:
1975-6 Three workshops,
"The Arts and the Imagination" sponsored by the Arizona Commission
on the Arts
1976 "The Arts and the Senses" a residency workshop sponsored
by the Lakeside Studios
1987 • A three-day seminar on career development for artists, sponsored
by the San Antonio Arts Council
• Seminar for master art teachers sponsored by the Tucson Art Institute,
1988
• Workshop Leader, City of Mesa's Leadership Program, Fine Arts Day
• Facilitator, staff retreat on creativity, City of Mesa Parks &
Rec. Dept.
• Artist Consultant to the National Association of American Cultures
Conference, Dallas, Texas
1992-02 Founded The Drawing Studio, Inc., an independent association of artists & art students dedicated to the study of drawing, with four cycles of courses & workshops annually (Tucson Arts District)
On occasion Rush acted as curator for special exhibitions for other artists, including:
1982 Curator, Rancho
Linda Vista Community Exhibition at Findhorn, Scotland
1986 Guest Curator, "Garden Sculpture by Tucson Artists", The
Tucson Botanical Garden.
1988 Guest Curator, Tucson Museum of Art, The Exhibition of Prints from
the
Jerusalem Print Workshop
1994 Guest Curator, "Charles Littler, A Retrospective Exhibition,
The University of Arizona Museum of Art
PROFESSIONAL ART ACTIVITY, including PUBLIC ART
Rush has always maintained a personal studio production and an active participation in professional life as an artist. His work has been part of many national exhibitions, especially of prints and drawings, book illustration, watercolors, public & private commissions, gallery activities, personal exhibitions, etc. In 1995 he was a nominee for the Arizona Arts Award by the Tucson Community Foundation (1 of 5 awards given annually). A complete exhibition history is available as a separate document).
In addition Rush published two editions of etchings for the Association of American Artists Inc. New York City ('68,'73); two portfolios of offset lithographs on the subject of law for Lawyers & Judges Publishing Co. ('67,'73); Six seasons of program cover art for the Tucson Symphony, The Arizona Opera, The Arizona Theatre Co., and the U. of Arizona Artists Series ('78-83)
In 1984 he published a volume of wash drawings in collaboration with his wife, Ann Woodin's book of essays, The Rule of Two, published by Oracle Press & distributed by Vanguard and later Harbinger Press. In 1990 he illustrated (with over 50 drawings) A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, the last work of the environmental writer Edward Abbey, St. Martin's Press. In 1992 he illustrated with 40 drawings Ask Marilyn, by Marilyn vos Savant, also published by St. Martin's Press.
Public Art: From 1981 on Rush began to take an interest in tile and relief sculpture, especially in public places, garden settings, and other architectural applications. Some of the public work includes:
1981 Tiles for the
Samadhi Floatation Center, San Francisco
1983 Two tile murals (6'x5') Stuart Men's Store, Michigan Ave., Chicago
1985 "European Cities", Five large scale tile murals for the
McDonald Corporation of Chicago
1986 A set of 15 terracotta reliefs "Desert life", for the Foothills
Mall, Tucson
1987 "Pedestrians" a sandblasted wall etching (60" x 60
feet) at the Williams Center, Tucson (A Jerome Shull commission)
1988 Tile Mural Purchase, 3d Monarch Tile National Competition, San Angelo
Texas
1987-9 Finalist in two public art competitions in Tucson, The Ronstadt
Transit Center & the Canyon del Oro Linear Park Project
1990 Tucson Expo Competition Winner with Bas-relief Lizard Poster Project
1992 The Steele Memorial Children's Research Center, Competition winners
in partnership with Joy Fox, (60" x 18 ft. tile and bas-relief mural,
"Earth, Sky, Water")
1992 "Women" Four terra Cotta Relief sculptures, The Birth &
Women's Health Center, Tucson
1994 "Desert Lore, the Hidden Bounty", The University of Arizona
Health Sciences Library Mural Competition Winner with Joy Fox (9ft. x
24 ft. Tile & Relief Mural plus related wall pieces)
1995 Stillwell-Twiggs Historic House--8'x10' tile mural & sculpture
fountain.
1995 Art Consultant to Robert Vint, Az. Sonora Desert Museum Entrance
Design
1996 The Cottonwood Cafe, Tucson-Tile art, murals, friezes, and sculpture
throughout-Paul Weiner, Architect.
1996 Pinal County Pathways Project: Oracle Pocket Park design & consultant
1996 Miller home: Garden project--tile, bas relief, (over 100 running
feet)-Guy Green, Landscape Architect
1996 Fountain & Patio tile designs ( home of Charles & Janet Lynn,
Tucson. )
1997 The Cottonwood Club, Tucson--3 x 6 ft. Tile mural, and bas relief
sculpture/8
1997/2003 Winner & Project Manager (with RLVARTS group) of the Tucson
downtown Community Gateway Project, now in last stages of completion.
1998/9 Stations of the Cross, 14 Bas Relief for St. Francis-in-the-Valley
Episcopal Church, Green Valley, AZ. 1999 Madonna and Child Bas Relief
1999-2003 Six Bas Relief Life Scale Sculptures for Home of Dr. John Madden,
including new entrance design, portals and tile
2000 Baptismal Font, Life scale terra cotta Figure & Pond for Santa
Catalina Catholic Mission Church (In RLVARTS partnership w/Judy Stewart)
2002/03 Design team w/ Robert Vint, Belltower and facade of St. Francis
in the Valley Church, Green Valley
CIVIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
From 1969 to the present an important concern parallel to a professional career in the arts for Rush has been participating in the on-going creation of community. This interest has taken many forms over the years, including:
1969 - present The
development of the Rancho Linda Vista, Inc., Community of the Arts in
Oracle, an experiment in community life now in its 34th year.
1975 -1985 Student and teacher of communication courses in the human potential
movement
1985-95 Travel to Israel, Russia, Poland, & other sites in Europe
to look at other community models
1987-2000 Chairman of the Oracle Town Hall Steering Committee, a political
action council in the unincorporated Oracle area of Pinal County
1985-91 Board of Trustees, St. Gregory College Preparatory School
1990-91 Moderator of a year-long symposium with 30 distinguished Tucson
educators, called 'Education for the 21st Century', sponsored by St. Gregory
School
1997 to 2002 Board of Directors, The Oracle Historical Society