The Artist

Jim Weitzel grew up outside of Cleveland, Ohio. He has been creating art and mastering the craft from an early age. During his years in Ohio, he was fortunate to spend many hours soaking in creative inspiration at the Cleveland Museum of Art. At the time, he also lived just minutes away from the Salvador Dali collection that now makes up the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. These early influences have had a lasting affect on the work that Jim produces.

He attended the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art in 1979. This gave Jim a traditional fine arts education and a strong foundation in both classical and modern art. Jim has been pursuing his passion for art, in a variety of forms, ever since.

Jim’s passion for art has grown along side his career in the mental wellness and recovery field. His decades long contributions to this field include working as a Resident Artist and Senior Recovery Coach at two campuses of a local healing community facility. See an interview with Jim here standing in front of a sculpture he created with residents of the healing community. He is continuing his career serving and guiding individuals recovering from addiction at Pavillon in Mill Springs, NC.

Jim’s studio is located in Forest City, North Carolina, where he lives and works. His creative talents are multi-faceted but he is currently concentrating his skills on metal sculpture and custom furniture creation.

Jim and his sculptures have been published numerous times in local periodicals, including The Daily Courier and Cornelius Today. His work can also be found featured on Houzz. He exhibits in shows and galleries, both regionally and throughout the country.

“I want my work to be more than just object, to have a deeper meaning, that connects us to a spiritual life and to our fellow man.”

“My work includes many techniques, welding which is akin to meditation, wood working, metal casting, mold making and many more. My process involves idea first and then finding the best techniques to execute that idea.”

You will note when viewing my work that I create art in many diverse fields, this comes from my interest in working with all types of materials and process along with my conceptualization of what art is. That being not creating the same thing over and over but about the exploration of new concepts and process along with the mastery of technique. My work includes many techniques, welding which is akin to meditation, wood working, metal casting, mold making and many more. My process involves idea first and then finding the best techniques to execute that idea. I now have a library of skills that I use in the creation of my work.