Gary Miller, artist and teacher

Posted 11/20/13

Gary Miller, 61, of Wyndmoor, a teacher and an artist in wood whose large installations can be seen at several area venues, died Oct. 5 in a two-vehicle collision near his home.

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Gary Miller, artist and teacher

Posted

Gary Miller, 61, of Wyndmoor, a teacher and an artist in wood whose large installations can be seen at several area venues, died Oct. 5 in a two-vehicle collision near his home.

For the past seven years, Mr. Miller taught sculpture and photography at Germantown Friends School. He also was an artist-in-residence at the Greenwoods School and the Woodmere Art Museum, where he taught summer art classes and led community art projects for children.

Born in Corpus Christi, Tex., he was raised around the country and the world as the son of a Navy officer. He received his B.F.A. from Mercer University, and took a special interest in working with wood to create sculptures, furniture and spoons.

He went on to play a key role in the developing art scene in Savannah, Ga., in the 1980s and discovered his second passion, teaching. Here he organized many programs and exhibits for children at the Telfair Museum.

He later worked as an exhibits designer at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum in New York, where he lived with his wife, JoAnn. Moving to the Philadelphia area in 1994, Mr. Miller continued his career, creating diverse works that ranged from small woodcarvings to large installation pieces, including “Big Nothing” at Woodmere Art Museum (2000), “Poppies” at the Morris Arboretum (2008) and “Rake’s Progress” at the Schuylkill Nature Center (2009).

His work has appeared at the Main Line Art Center, Woodmere Art Museum and the Burning Man Art Festival. He served for several years on Woodmere’s board of directors.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Laura; a son, James; sisters Laura M. Crank, Judy Newbern and Lynn Clark. Memorial donations may be made to the Art Department, Germantown Friends School, 31 W. Coulter St., Philadelphia, PA 19144. – WF

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