James S. Gibson was a native of West Virginia where he received his BS & BA from the University of Charleston in 1958 and his Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from Ohio University in 1961. He taught at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) for 29 years from 1970 until 1999 and influenced countless students and inspired many to attend graduate school.
His reputation during those years was best captured by Clara Hieronymus, the Art & Drama Critic for the Tennessean. “He seems to me to be the prototype of the ideal teacher-artist. Which is to say that his own creative talents speak for what he is teaching his students; that he is both teacher and respected artist.” He often said, “if my teaching goes well, my sculpture goes well.”
His retirement in 1999 marked the beginning of another vibrant period of creativity, in which over 200 more sculptures would emerge from his studio at home in Murfreesboro. Upon his death in 2018 at the age of 81, his legacy as an artist includes over 600 sculptures, 20 commissions, and 128 exhibitions in galleries across the country.
His work is in many national and international collections and has been included in numerous invitational and juried exhibitions. His sculpture is held in many Nashville area collections including Vanderbilt University, Nissan, Bridgestone, Middle Tennessee State University, and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. His work is part of public and private collections throughout the United States.
