Harold Zisla (1925-2016)

Harold Zisla, born on June 28, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, was an accomplished American abstract expressionist artist and respected art educator. Notably, he graduated from East Technical High School in Cleveland in 1943, his educational journey led him to several prominent institutions such as Cleveland School of Art and Western Reserve University.

After his service in the United States Navy until 1946, Zisla graduated with a diploma in painting in 1950. The same year, he received his B.S. in art education, followed by his M.S. in art education the subsequent year. By 1952, he made a significant move to South Bend, Indiana, taking on a role as an industrial designer at Uniroyal.

Zisla's career in the arts was illustrious. From 1957 to 1966, he served as the Director of the South Bend Art Center. In 1968, he became the founding chair of the Fine Arts Department at Indiana University South Bend, a position he held until his retirement in 1989. Throughout his career, he was instrumental in fostering community arts in the Michiana region. Among his numerous roles, he served on the South Bend Art Center board of trustees, the Advisory Board of the Gallery at Saint Mary’s College, and the Mayor's Committee to Build a Cultural Complex.

Zisla's work centered around a philosophy that painting should be, above all, a "liberation into the spirit of the artist". His influence as an artist is notable through his various solo exhibitions, which included art centers and universities from Indiana to New Hampshire.

Off the canvas, Zisla married Doreen on August 13, 1946, and together they had two children, Paul Zisla and Beverly Welber. His legacy also lives on through the Harold and Doreen Zisla Art Scholarship at Indiana University South Bend, which supports graduate and undergraduate students with an interest in experimental art.

Zisla's lifelong dedication to art and education, along with his pervasive influence on the community, rightly solidifies his stature amongst East Technical High School's notable alumni. His significant contributions to art education and abstract expressionism continue to inspire future generations of artists.

For more detailed information about Harold Zisla, visit his Wikipedia page.