James Thurman is a Professor of Metalsmithing & Jewelry at the University of North Texas’ College of Visual Arts & Design. He received his MFA in Metalsmithing from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and his BFA in Sculpture from Carnegie Mellon University. A two-time Fulbright Specialist Scholar, he worked in Istanbul, Turkey, with Kadir Has University in 2012 and the Glass Furnace Foundation in 2016.
A prolific and highly active studio artist for over twenty-five years, his work has been included in hundreds of national and international curated and juried exhibitions as well as numerous solo exhibitions. In addition to the exhibition of his work, James regularly lectures and gives workshops about his work and the unique technical aspects of his studio production, including a laminated composite material he developed, “Thurmanite.” Previous venues have included The Glass Furnace (Istanbul, Turkey), Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Penland School of Crafts, , the Museum of Fine Arts Houston Glassell School, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Yuma Symposium.
Digital fabrication continues to evolve as a major aspect of his research and teaching, ever since completing his Machinist Certification in 1995. Beyond utilization in his own studio production, he has incorporated digital fabrication into his teaching for more than fifteen years, including a unique online studio-based course since 2012. As Coordinator of the North Texas Digital Fabrication Group, he facilitates regular Group meetings and an annual Symposium.
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