1944-Present
Works in the Collection
Biography
Preston Eugene Jackson was born on March 1, 1944, in Decatur, Illinois. Jackson began drawing at an early age and pursued his studies in the arts at Southern Illinois University, earning his BFA and, later, his MFA from the University of Illinois in 1972.
From 1971 to 1972, Jackson served as an instructor of drawing and painting at Decatur’s Millikin University. He was professor of art at Western Illinois University from 1972 to 1989. Jackson joined the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1989 as professor of sculpture and head of the Figurative Area. Appointed chair of the Sculpture Department in 1994, Jackson served in that capacity until 1996. Since 1995, Jackson has served as owner of The Raven Gallery, home of the Contemporary Art Center in Peoria, Illinois.
Both a painter and a sculptor, Preston Jackson is best known for his traveling sculpture exhibit “Fresh from Julieanne’s Garden,” which features more than 100 unique bronze castings of people of color telling fictionalized stories of their lives from the 17th through 20th centuries. He went on to host “Legacy in Bronze,” a television show featuring these sculptures, and was awarded a Regional Emmy for the series.