Jim Hirschfield

Jim Hirschfield is a Professor of Art at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with 30 years of service, specializing in Sculpture and Public Art within the Studio Art program.

His educational background includes:

• Master of Fine Arts from the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
• Bachelor of Fine Arts from Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO

Hirschfield's artistic practice centers on creating site-responsive public installations. Since shifting from ethereal environments to public art in the early 1990s, he has completed over 40 commissions including freestanding sculptures, pedestrian bridges at zoological parks, and meditation rooms in children's hospitals. His work integrates diverse materials—metals, glass, stone, ceramic, terrazzo, concrete, plants, sound, and light—to reveal inherent site truths through visual metaphors, prioritizing poetic audience experiences.

His significant recognition includes:

• National Endowment for the Arts
• North Carolina Arts Council
• Graham Foundation
• Pollock-Krasner Foundation
• Art Matters
• Rockefeller Foundation

Hirschfield teaches undergraduate courses spanning foundational seminars on time and artistic temperament to advanced studio practices in wood/metal sculpture, public art, and total sensory installation. His studio-based pedagogy emphasizes material experimentation and site-specific conceptual development, supported by major foundation grants enabling large-scale public commissions.