James Myford

American, 1940–2014

James Myford was an American Postwar and Contemporary sculptor. He attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where he earned an Art Education degree in 1962, and began a teaching career that spanned more than 35 years. He later went on to earn master's degrees in both Art Education and Sculpture from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He served on the faculty at Slippery Rock University from 1968–1997 where he became an accomplished and recognized arts educator.

Myford's interest in aluminum began in 1970 when he attended a workshop sponsored by Alcoa at the Art Center in Pittsburgh, where he “fell in love with aluminum as a material.” He began creating contemporary aluminum sculptures using the casting process with designs inspired by nature, including birds, trees, and plants. His first one-man art exhibit held in Pittsburgh in 1972, featuring pieces ranging in size from twelve inches to four feet in height, was a success and launched his career as an artist.

In the ensuing decades, Myford received numerous sculpture commissions for public, private, and corporate collectors, mostly located in western Pennsylvania. In 2012, Slippery Rock University named its new sculpture facility on campus the James C. Myford Art Sculpture Building in honor and recognition of his longtime contributions as an educator and artist.