Harry Engel (1901-1970) was born in Romania before his family moved to New York, and finally to southern Michigan. His parents initially urged him to pursue art, but Engel naturally focused on artmaking. After high school, Engel studied in Paris for two years under several great instructors and returned home and enrolled at Notre Dame University, earning a degree in art education.
Next, Engel moved to Bloomington to teach art history and painting at Indiana University. Engel moved to New York to pursue his MA at Columbia and then returned to Bloomington (before the term “Bloomerang” developed I’m sure) to continue teaching in the art department, where he was on the faculty for forty years.
Engel was remembered as being modest about his work and accomplishments and was known for having a great demeanor. He found that creative talent was a gift and sinful / ignorant if it wasn’t used. Engel set up art courses at the Indiana State Prison during the 1930s and was, under the New Deal, the Director of the WPA Federal Art Project for Indiana.
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