Aristides Demetrios
Encyclopedia
Aristides Burton Demetrios (born 1932) was born and raised in Massachusetts. His father, George Demetrios, was a classical sculptor, trained by Bourdelle, a student of Rodin. His mother, Virginia Lee Burton was the renowned author and illustrator of children's books, including Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and The Little House, for which she won the prestigious Caldecott prize. After graduating from Harvard College, Mr. Demetrios spent three years as an officer in the Navy and then studied at the George Demetrios School for three years. In 1963, he won his first national sculpture competition when his proposed design was selected for a major fountain commission on the campus of Stanford University (The White Memorial Fountain: "Mem Claw" ). Shortly thereafter, he was chosen to be the sculptor for a public art commission in Sacramento in front of the County Courthouse; subsequently, he was selected by David and Lucille Packard to design and fabricate the sculpture to grace the entry to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (Forms Sung In A Kelp Forest). He currently lives in Santa Ynez, CA.

After successfully completing a series of monumental public sculptures (The 92' Wind Harp in South San Francisco; The Bataan War Memorial on the Island of Corregidor, Flame of Freedom; the 80' sculpture Cosmos, the fountain Peirine in New York, Breakthrough, etc.), Mr. Demetrios turned his attention to smaller works for private collectors. In the last few decades, he has designed, fabricated and installed a large number of commissioned works for the gardens of private collectors, including a great many bronze fountains. In addition, he has had several gallery and museum shows featuring his figurative bronze sculptures, like "Trickster", his abstract bronze sculptures, like "The Cube", and his painted or patinaed steel sculptures, like "Tomorrow's Dreams", the vast majority of which are now owned by private collectors across the United States.

In 2002, Mr. Demetrios won the "Santa Barbara Beautiful Award" for the most beautiful work of public art; the award recognized Mr Demetrios for the design and fabrication of the 18' bronze fountain, Mentors, which serves as the focal point of the Santa Barbara City College, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The Fountain was donated to the campus by Eli Luria and Michael Towbes, two revered Santa Barbara philanthropists, both of whom have Demetrios' sculptures in their own private collections.

Wind Harp is a good example of Demetrios' monumental work. Placed on a hilltop in a South San Francisco industrial park in 1967, it is 92 feet tall and made of rusted steel. It's designed to make other-worldly sounds when the wind blows.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Born in Massachusetts, 1932

EDUCATION
Harvard College, B.A. History & Literature, 1953
George Demitrios School of Sculpture, 1956–59
U.C. School of Architecture, 1959

ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2009 Wiford Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2009 Jardin De La Granada, Santa Barbara, CA
2009 Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2000 Vail Gallery, Des Moines, IA
1997 Addison Ripley Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1992 Michael Dunev Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1992 Michael Dunev Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1992 Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Carmel, CA
1991 Trition Museum, Santa Clara, CA
1991 Michael Dunev Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1989 Ianetti-Lanzone Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1988 Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA
1987 Gallery 30, San Mateo, CA 1985 Victor Fischer Gallery, Oakland, CA
1981 Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, CT
1980 New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT
1980 San Francisco Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1967 M.H. de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA 1965 Stanford University Union, Stanford, CA
1962 Golden Gate Gallery, San Francisco, CA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2008 Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
2001 Vail Gallery, Des Moines, IA
1998 Addison Ripley Gallery, Washington D.C.
1996 Addison Ripley Gallery, Washington, D.C.
1990 Beyond the Frame, ALZA, Palo Alto, CA
1989 Gallerie des Arts Quotidiens, Paris
1988 Bay Area Bronzes, Walnut Creek Cultural Center, Walnut Creek, CA
1986 San Francisco Sculpture Festival, San Francisco, CA 1985 Civic Arts Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
1984 Hastings Law School Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1983 San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA
1983 Brook House Gallery, Orinda, CA
1982 International Sculpture Conference Invitational, Oakland, CA
1981 San Francisco A.I.A., San Francisco, CA
1980 Gloucester Lyceum, Gloucester, MA
1976 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
1968 Northern California A.I.A., San Francisco, CA

COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS
2000 Santa Barbara Beautiful Award for Best Sculpture
1990 Award for Natoma Station Art Program, Folsom
1986 Merit Award for Fawcett Residence Program
1982 A.S.L.A. Award of Merit for Discovery Sculpture Park
1975 A.I.A. Honor Award for VINEYARD 1972 L.A.C.C. Award for PRIMAVERA
1968 San Francisco Hall of Justice Competition
1967 Pacific War Memorial Competition
1965 CVAIA Award of Excellence for PROTEUS
1964 Alameda County Competition
1964 White Memorial Competition

MAJOR COMMISSIONS
2008-9 GENERATIONS
21' Bronze fountain
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

2007-9 BEGINNINGS
40" Stainless Steel
University of California, Merced, Merced, CA

2007 VULCAN
4 Meter stainless steel
Benarrosh collection, Montecito, CA

2006 OCEANUS
9' Bronze Fountain
Cohasset, MA

2006 NAIAD
9' Bronze Tragos Collection
Montecito, CA

2005 CITIZEN
Bronze figure and flag
ATT Building, Minneapolis, MN

2004 ACROBATS
14- 7' bronze figures
Pacific Commons, Fremont, CA

2002 SURGE
Dart/Cohen Collection, Santa Barbara, CA

2001 JOIE DE VIVRE
9 Acrobats Emmons Collection, Santa Barbara, CA

2000 MENTORS
18'
City College of Santa Barbara, CA

1998 ARC
11' Stainless steel
Gov. and Mrs Mark Warner, Arlington VA

1996 THE CART
12 figures, 7'
Health South, Birmingham, AL

1992 Bronze Fountain
Kawea Hospital, Visalia, CA

1992 CALL ME ISHMAEL
Bronze, 7' tall
Harper Group, San Francisco, CA

1991 ON THE EDGE
Bronze, 10' tall
Private Residence, Adrian, MI

1990 KING AND CONSORT
Bronze, two elements, 8' tall
Private residence, Atherton, CA

1990 COSMOS
Painted steel, 80' tall
Olympus Pointe, Roseville, CA

1990 GOLDMAN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD
Bronze on granite
San Francisco, CA

1989 FIGURE
Bronze, 10' tall
Private residence, Atherton, CA

1989 FLIGHT
Bronze fountain, 10' tall

1989 CELEBRATION
Stainless steel fountain, 25' tall
Pacific Concourse, Los Angeles, CA

1989 SEA URCHIN
Bronze fountain, 8' diameter
Jack London Square, Oakland, CA

1989 STELE
Bronze fountain, 10' tall
Private residence, San Diego, CA

1989 RED GOTHIC
Painted steel, 7' tall
Alta Plaza Park, San Francisco, CA

1989 DOG GOD
Bronze, 7' tall
Private residence, Ross, CA

1988 CELEBRATIONS
25'
Pacific Concourse, Los Angeles, CA

1988 ZIG
Painted steel, 6' tall
Private residence, Inverness, CA

1988 THREE DISKS
Painted steel, 6.5' tall
Private residence, Glen Ellen, CA

1988 SOLSTICE
Painted steel, 6' tall
Private residence, Atherton, CA

1988 SPRING
Bronze fountain, 7' tall
One Ygnacio Plaza, Walnut Creek, CA

1988 I/THOU
Bronze fountain, two elements, 8.5' tall
Private residence, Glen Ellen, CA

1988 DUE
Bronze fountain
Private residence, Pebble Beach, CA

1988 PEIRENE
Bronze, 10' tall
Entrance Plaza, The Corinthian, New York City, NY

1986 EGIRIA
Bronze fountain, 8' tall
Private Residence, San Francisco, CA

1986 A FANFARE OF DOLPHINS
Bronze fountain, 14' tall
Marine World Africa USA, Vallejo, CA

1986 MERLIN
Painted steel, 25' tall
Research Development Park, Emeryville, CA

1985 SOURCE
Bronze fountain, 15' tall Airport Technology Park
Santa Clara, CA

1984 BREAKTHROUGH
Painted steel, 12' x 20' x 30'
Airport Technology Park, Santa Clara, CA

1984 CRUCIBLE
Bronze, 8' tall
Washington, San Francisco, CA

1984 FORMS SUNG IN A KELP FOREST
Bronze fountain, 6 elements 12'4" tall
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA

1984 SENTINAL II
Bronze fountain, 13' tall
Private residence, San Francisco, CA

1983 CARING
Bronze, two elements 19' tall
Atrium of 2855 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA

1983 INTERLOCK
Bronze, 5' tall
Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA

1983 ARCHON
Bronze, 5' tall
Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA

1982 EARTH SHIFT
Bronze fountain, 12' tall
Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA

1981-82 FOUNTAIN
Four groups in bronze, 6' tall
EBSCO Headquarters, Birmingham, AL

1980 INSCRIPTION FOUNTAIN
Bronze, 40' x 10'
Heritage Park, Ft. Worth, TX

1979 DISCOVERY SCULPTURE PARK
Thirty small bronze sculptures
Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH

1979 ST. JOSEPH, ST. MARY
Two bronze reliefs, life size
Our Lady of Fatima Church, Modesto, CA

1978 SUNBURST
Three Corten steel reliefs, 10' x 4'
Peerless Electric Company, Berkeley, CA

1977 SEA HARVEST
Bronze fountain, 4' tal
lSawyer Free Library, Gloucester, MA

1977 WINVANE
Bronze, kinetic, 6' tall Private residence
Sausalito, CA

1976 SUNBURST
Bronze helix /sphere, 26' diameter Suspended over atrium
Phoenix Hyatt Regency Hotel, Phoenix, AZ

1975 FOUNTAIN
Bronze, 4' x 5' x 4'
Banker's Equity Building, San Francisco, CA

1975 SEASCAPES
Series of bronze fountains, 9' x 12' x 11'
Terrace Garden Inn, Atlanta, GA

1973 GIRLS DANCING
Bronze figures, ¼ life size
Mary Institute, St. Louis, CA

1973 INTERFACE
Bronze fountain, 7' x 8'
First Unitarian Church, San Francisco

1973 SENTINALS
Bronze, 8' x 6' x 10'

1972 ARIZONA
Triad of copper reliefs, 11' x 10'
First National Bank of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ

1971 TUMBLER
Corten steel, 12' x 13' x 10'
Public Square, Springfield, MO

1971 PRIMAVERA
Bronze fountain, 35' tall
The Prudential, Los Angeles, CA

1970 OCEANUS
Bronze and copper fountain, 70' x 14' x 10'
Milton Hershey School, Hershey, PA

1970 TWO CONIC SECTIONS
Bronze fountain, 18' tall
Summit Savings & Loan, Santa Rosa, CA

1970 CLOCK TOWER
Corten steel, kinetic, 11' x 11' x 22'
Park Newport, Newport Beach, CA

1970 TRIAD
Chromed aluminum, suspended kinetic, 35' tall
Park Plaza, Oshkosh, WI

1969 FOUNTAIN
Bronze, 6' x 6' x 4'
The Bank of California, Portland, OR

1968 THE GOLDEN FLEECE
Bronze relief, 22' long
Wells Fargo Bank, Oakland, CA

1968 FLAME OF FREEDOM
Corten steel, 40' tall
Corregidor Island, the Philippines

1968 RELIEF (untitled)
Bronze and copper, 7' x 4'
Mercy Hospital Carmichael, CA

1967 HARP WIND
92'
South San Francisco park, CA

1967 CABOT, CABOT AND FORBES TOWER
Mayari R steel, 92' tall
CFF Industrial Park, South San Francisco, CA

1967 SKY DIVERS
Three bronze double life size figures, 30' tall
Fashion Island, Newport Beach, CA

1967 FLIGHT
Bronze and copper, 9' tall
Private Residence, Woodside, CA

1966 GENESIS
Bronze and copper fountain, 22' wide, 10' tall
Northwest Plaza, St. Louis, MO

1965 PROTEUS
Bronze and copper fountain, 32' diameter, 6" tall
Sacramento County Courthouse, CA

1964 RENAISSANCE
Bronze and copper, 16' tall
ALCO Park, Oakland, CA

1964 WHITE MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN
Bronze and copper, 16' tall
Stanford University, Stanford, CA

1963 SPRAY
Bronze copper fountain, 4' x4' x 7' tall
Sonoma Mortgage Company Santa Rosa, CA

1962 SUN AND WAVE
Bronze and steel relief, 6' x 10'
Royal Pacific Motel, San Francisco, CA

PUBLIC SERVICE
CHAIR. UN 50TH ANNIVERSARY SAN FRANCISCO, CREATION OF UN PLAZA, SF
SAN FRANCISCO ART COMMISSIONER 1989-93
ACQUISITIONS COMMITTEE SFMOMA (ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN) 1992-5
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE UC SANTA BARBARA 1998-2000

BIBLIOGRAPHY (partial list)
1966 Davenport, ART TREASURES OF THE WEST Sunset Magazine
1970 Mendelwitz, A HISTORY OF AMERICAN ART Rinehart
1973 H.U.D. ARTISITS IN AMERICA
1988 Hockaday, AT THE GARDENS OF SAN FRANCISCO Timber Press
1988 Loewer, AMERICAN GARDENS Simon & Schuster
1988 Murray, HOME LANDSCAPING
1989 Katz, THE FOUNTAINS OF SAN FRANCISCO

TELEMEDIA
1987 BREAKTHROUGH
A portrait of Aristides Demetrios; Prize-winning documentary by Eames Demetrios, first shown in April, 1987 on KQED-TV. San Francisco. Distributed by Home Video Artist Series.

2009 Santa Barbara’s Channel 21 – Artist Series

RECENT COLLECTORS
City College of Santa Barbara
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Dali
Mr. and Mrs. Chad Dreier
Mr. and Mrs. Roberts Emmons
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Haberman
Ms. Judith Hopkinson
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Howe
Mr. and Mrs. Eli Luria
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Nourse
Mr. and Mrs. David Obst
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Saxon
Mr. and Mrs. James Scheinfeld
Ms. Leslie Thomas
Mr. Michael Towbes
Governor and Mrs. Mark Warner
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Vos

External links

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