John Benjamin Gilliam

John “Ben” Gilliam resides in Greenville, South Carolina, where he is both a working studio artist and a visual arts instructor at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. Originally from Tennessee, he moved to Pennsylvania where he received his M.F.A. from Tyler School of Art, Temple University. His work has been exhibited nationally and has been featured in Metalsmith, TOWN, and American Style magazines. Ben has also received a number of grants and awards that include the Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship, the Individual Artist Fellowship Grant sponsored by South Carolina Arts Commission, and the “Outstanding K-12 Sculpture Teacher Award” by the International Sculpture Society. He was commissioned to create commemorative bronze plaques for the Mobay Corporation and the Palumbo Center at Duquesne University, both in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 "The act of creating is more than the manipulation of materials or a display of technical skill. It demands an attitude of discovery through an examination of ones own creativity."