Phebe Hemphill
{{short description|American sculptor}}
{{Infobox artist
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| name = Phebe Hemphill
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| image = Phebe Hemphill.jpg
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1960|04|25}}
| birth_place = West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
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| nationality = American
| education =
| alma_mater = Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
| known_for = Sculpture
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Phebe Hemphill (born April 25, 1960) is an American sculptor who works for the United States Mint. She has been called "one of the preeminent coin artists, sculptors, and engravers of our time."
Early life and education
Hemphill was born April 25, 1960, in West Chester, Pennsylvania{{cite web|last1=Johnson|first1=Dick|title=HEMPHILL, Phebe (1960– ) sculptor|url=http://www.medalartists.com/hemphill-phebe.html|website=Medal Artists Database|accessdate=28 February 2016}} to Dallett Hemphill and Ann Cornwell Hemphill.{{cite news|last1=Price|first1=Bill|title=Dallett Hemphill, 74; W. Chester Lawyer|url=http://articles.philly.com/1998-11-05/news/25731538_1_practice-law-funeral-family|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315084716/http://articles.philly.com/1998-11-05/news/25731538_1_practice-law-funeral-family|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 15, 2016|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=November 5, 1998}} A number of Phebe Hemphill's family members, including her father and grandfather, were interested in coin and medal collecting. She was directly inspired by her grandfather, Gibbons Gray Cornwell Jr., who did bas-relief sculpture, who in turn was influenced by her great-great aunt, Martha Jackson Cornwell, who worked with Augustus Saint-Gaudens.{{cite book|last1=Leonard|first1=John William|title=Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914–1915|date=1914|publisher=American commonwealth Company|page=[https://archive.org/details/womanswhoswhoam00leongoog/page/n198 207]|url=https://archive.org/details/womanswhoswhoam00leongoog|accessdate=28 February 2016}}
Hemphill attended Agnes Irwin School for girls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1978.{{cite web|title=Phebe Hemphill '78, Winner of Congressional Medal Design Contest|url=http://www.agnesirwin.org/page.cfm?p=848&newsid=222|website=Agnes Irwin School|publisher=September 24, 2014|accessdate=28 February 2016}} Hemphill trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, graduating in 1987. She also studied with Evangelos Frudakis.{{cite news|last1=Loviglio|first1=JoAnn|title=PAFA Alum's Creations Right in Your Pocket|url=https://www.pafa.org/pafa-perspectives/pafa-alum%E2%80%99s-creations-right-your-pocket|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=PAFA Perspectives|date=December 2015}} Hemphill includes Jules-Clément Chaplain, Jean-Baptiste Daniel-Dupuis, Oscar Roty, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and Adolph A. Weinman among her artistic influences.{{cite news|title=Coin Designer's Profile: Phebe Hemphill|url=http://www.coinweek.com/people-in-the-news/coinweek-coin-designers-profile-phebe-hemphill/|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=CoinWeek|date=August 26, 2015}}
Sculpture
In 1987, Hemphill joined the Franklin Mint in the sculpture department. She remained there until 2002, working on porcelain and medallic art. From 2002 until 2005 she worked as a staff sculptor at McFarlane Toys, in Bloomingdale, New Jersey.
In 2006, she joined the United States Mint in Philadelphia.{{cite news|title=Medallic sculptors join U.S. Mint staff|url=http://www.numismaticnews.net/article/medallic_sculptors_join_us_mint_staff|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=Numismatic News|date=July 21, 2008}} She has sculpted many coins and medals for the U.S. Mint, including the 2013 Presidential $1 Coin obverse for William McKinley;{{cite news|last1=Unser|first1=Mike|title=2013 Presidential $1 Coin Designs Revealed|url=http://www.coinnews.net/2012/12/18/2013-presidential-1-coin-designs/|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=Coin News|date=December 18, 2012}} the 2011 September 11 National Medal World Trade center obverse;{{cite news|last1=Tucker|first1=Dennis|title=Controversial U.S. Mint Silver Medal Remembers the Victims, Emergency Responders, and Survivors of 9/11|url=http://news.coinupdate.com/controversial-u-s-mint-silver-medal-remembers-the-victims-emergency-responders-and-survivors-of-911/|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=Coin Update|date=November 10, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Gilkes|first1=Paul|title=U.S. Mint to offer bronze versions of three Fallen Heroes of 9/11 congressional gold medals|url=http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2014/09/bronze-duplicates-of-fallen-heroes-medals-september-11.all.html|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=Coin World|date=September 10, 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Mucha|first1=Peter|title=9/11 medals from U.S. Mint go on sale Monday|url=http://articles.philly.com/2011-06-16/news/29665804_1_medals-silver-bronze|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920142012/http://articles.philly.com/2011-06-16/news/29665804_1_medals-silver-bronze|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 20, 2015|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=June 16, 2011}} the Monuments men bronze medal;{{cite news|title="Monuments Men" Bronze Medals|url=http://mintnewsblog.com/2015/10/monuments-men-bronze-medals/|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=Mint News Blog|date=October 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307100238/http://mintnewsblog.com/2015/10/monuments-men-bronze-medals/|archive-date=7 March 2016|url-status=dead}} and coin series of Five-Star Generals,{{cite news|last1=Gilkes|first1=Paul|title=Mint unveils designs for 5-Star Generals coins|url=http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2012/10/three-commemorative-coins-to-be-available-in-.html|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=Coin World|date=October 30, 2012}} First Spouses{{cite news|last1=Gilkes|first1=Paul|title=2014 First Spouse gold $10 coins honor efforts of first ladies Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt|url=http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2014/05/2014-first-spouse-gold--10-coins-honor-first-ladies-efforts.html|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=Coin World|date=July 9, 2014}} and Code talkers.{{cite web|title=Phebe Hemphill|url=https://www.usmint.gov/education/artists/?action=Hemphill|website=The United States Mint|accessdate=28 February 2016}} United States Mint state quarters including Gettysburg, the Grand Canyon, Mount Hood, and Yosemite are also Hemphill's work.
Hemphill lives in Philadelphia. She frequently visits sites which will be featured in her work, including Shenandoah National Park and the September 11 attack locations.{{cite news|last1=Kay|first1=Rhonda|title=2014 Shenandoah Quarter Bags and Rolls on Sale|url=http://www.coinnews.net/2014/03/31/2014-shenandoah-quarter-bags-and-rolls-on-sale/|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=CoinNews|date=March 31, 2014}} She uses both digital and traditional methods in her work, working with 3-D imaging software as well as creating coin designs on clay blanks the size of dinner plates.{{cite news|last1=Unser|first1=Mike|title=US Mint Artists at Philadelphia Sculpt Digitally and in Clay|url=http://www.coinnews.net/2013/09/06/us-mint-artists-at-philadelphia-sculpt-digitally-and-in-clay/|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=Coin News|date=September 6, 2013}}
{{blockquote|"The best reason to do traditional work now is the ability to see depth perception ... Since we're working in such shallow relief, it's a very important and viable way to do it."}}
Exhibitions
Hemphill's work has been shown by the National Sculpture Society, the American Medallic Sculpture Association, the F.A.N. Gallery in Philadelphia, and West Chester University.{{cite news|last1=Quillman|first1=Catherine|title=Four Local Artists Show Their Work At West Chester University Gallery|url=http://articles.philly.com/2000-03-05/news/25606172_1_local-artists-show-museum-of-american-illustration-sculpture|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222135601/http://articles.philly.com/2000-03-05/news/25606172_1_local-artists-show-museum-of-american-illustration-sculpture|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2015|accessdate=28 February 2016|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=March 5, 2000}}
Awards
References
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Category:Artists from Philadelphia
Category:People from West Chester, Pennsylvania
Category:20th-century American sculptors
Category:21st-century American sculptors
Category:Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts alumni
Category:21st-century American women sculptors
Category:Sculptors from Pennsylvania