Harold Boyd

Born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1938, Harold Boyd's career as an artist and university professor spans more than 40 years. From the late 1960s onward, Boyd's influence as a professor of painting and drawing can be seen in the work of his many students—including Nicolas Africano, Wonsook Kim, Tony Wong, and Diego Cortez.

Since the mid-80s his work has consistently featured non-idealized aging male figures. Biographically or autobiographically inspired (his father, himself, Adlai Stevenson), yet fictional in result, these figures “all share an awakening clumsiness, as if surprised by gravity, as if remembering a weightless childhood, the childhood of a soap-bubble.

Along with other media, Boyd does sculpture. Three bronze figures of children hanging on swings from the Central Illinois Regional Airport roof in Bloomington were installed in 2003. The project helped Boyd transition beyond teaching and administrative work following his retirement in 2000.

In early 2020, Harold was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Since that time, Harold's disease has progressed and the needs for his care and support have increased significantly. We are offering Harold's artwork for sale to help provide for his ongoing care. His work can be purchased online or at one of the two upcoming shows featuring artwork that spans his entire career.