Mike Baur

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Mike Baur
Mike baur headshot.png
Born1951 (age 73–74)
Kansas City, KS, USA
EducationArkansas State University (BFA 1973) University of Illinois (MFA 1975)
OccupationAbstract Sculptor
WebsiteMikeBaurSculpture.com

Mike Baur (born 1951) is an American sculptor, working with steel, concrete, stone, cast metals, wood and plastic.

Contents

Life and career

Mike Baur grew up in Southern Missouri, where his father served as a Baptist minister in various small-town congregations. [1] His interest in art was sparked by a childhood encounter with a photograph of a Jackson Pollock painting. [2] After leaving high school at the age of 16 to work at a sawmill, Baur pursued his education at Arkansas State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1973. He then completed a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1976. [3] During his time in Urbana, he transitioned from plastic casting to working with concrete and steel, gaining international recognition in 1974 with a 100-ton concrete sculpture titled Idle, located near Barcelona, Spain. [1]

Baur established his studio in Chicago in 1976. He was represented by Zriny-Hayes Gallery from 1976 to 1981 [4] [5] and Sonia Zaks Gallery from 1981 to 2003. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] From 2008 to 2013, his work was represented by OK Harris Works of Art in New York. [8]

Baur began his career in public sculpture with Idle in 1974. [13] He has continued to pursue public commissions, with large pieces located in Illinois, [2] Indiana, [14] and Iowa. [1] The Chicago Tribune has described his work as creating "magic from concrete and steel." [15] His work spans various media, including steel, concrete, stone, cast metals, wood, and plastic, reflecting a deep exploration of these materials' inherent qualities.

In June 2025, Baur installed Guardians, a two-part cast concrete and steel sculpture at Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve in Kane County, Illinois. Commissioned for the Forest Preserve District’s centennial, the work reflects themes of renewal, resilience, and guardianship found in Midwestern woodlands. [16]

Collections and public art

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Voyage Chicago. "Art & Life with Mike Baur" Local Stories, August 28, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Cassidy, Victor M. "Mike Baur: Form Builder." Facus.
  3. ↑ Assembly Hall, University of Illinois, Champaign. The Herald and Review, February 1, 1976, p. 43.
  4. ↑ Artner, Alan G. "Artist's growth evident in newest works". Chicago Tribune, March 25, 1988, Section 7, p. 39.
  5. ↑ Staff Reports. "Baur’s work steadily growing rich, complex". Chicago Tribune, February 18, 1994.
  6. ↑ Artner, Alan G. "For Sculptor Mike Baur, Abstraction Leads to a Gain in Strength". Chicago Tribune, July 3, 1998.
  7. ↑ Artner, Alan. "The year's best art exhibitions." Chicago Tribune, January 1, 1989.
  8. 1 2 Holg, Garrett. "Mike Baur." ARTnews, September 1996, Sonia Zaks, p. 140.
  9. ↑ Crain's Chicago Business. "Zaks Gallery." April 11, 1988.
  10. ↑ McCracken, David. "Baur hems in concrete with steel". Chicago Tribune, July 17, 1992, Section 7, p. 49.
  11. ↑ Artner, Alan G. "Baur's industrial-like sculptures at once brute, elegant". Chicago Tribune, March 9, 1990, Section 7, p. 52.
  12. ↑ Hawkins, Margaret. "Mike Baur's Sculpture Evokes Boat People." Chicago Sun-Times, June 7, 1996.
  13. ↑ Fundacio Abertis. Art A l’autopista. 2007. pp. 98-101, 177. ISBN   978-84-690-5174-0.
  14. ↑ "Mantle." IndyArtsGuide. Accessed May 9th, 2024.
  15. ↑ Artner, Alan G., and Staff Reports. "Baur makes magic from steel and concrete." Chicago Tribune, April 4, 2003.
  16. 1 2 "Mike Baur Sculpture 'Guardians' Installed to Commemorate Kane County Forest Preserve Centennial". Illinois Artists List. July 1, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier "New sculpture installed on UNI campus." Courier, July 11, 2015. Updated July 18, 2017.
  18. ↑ Jaffe, Logan. "A Closer Look at the Public Art at Chicago Police Stations." ProPublica Illinois, August 21, 2020.
  19. ↑ Office of Public Affairs. "Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park Dedicates Mike Baur’s Sextant Yoke." Governors State University - OPUS Open Portal to University Scholarship. November 21, 2008.
  20. ↑ Cassidy, Victor. "Study for Turtle and Dragon." Sculpture Invasion catalog, Koehnline Museum of Art, Oakton Community College, July 12-Aug. 30, 2007.
  21. ↑ Hayes, Patricia A., and Adriana Grisales (Research conducted by). "Greater Rockford Inventory of Public Sculpture." Symbol Celebration Committee, Rockford Area Arts Council, Rockford Park District, October 8, 2003. Photography by Shad Bowser and Stacy Droege. Page 22. October 8, 2003.
  22. ↑ Manchir, Michelle. "College of DuPage donates sculpture to Glen Ellyn." Triblocal.
  23. ↑ "Camel's Gate." Illinois Math and Science Academy. September 14, 2016.
  24. ↑ n.a., Page 191, Illinois State Library General Collection (Illinois Digital Archives), 2024-05-09,
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