Earline Heath King
Earline Heath King (May 11, 1913 – June 27, 2011) was an American singer and sculptor who specialized in portraits and statues. She is best known for her commissions and public art.
Biography[edit]
King was an only child born in Winston-Salem.[1] She showed artistic talent "early on" and become very involved in the arts at Richard J. Reynolds High School.[2] King was married at age 16,[1] to artist, Joe King.[3] The two had been "childhood sweethearts,"[4] and eloped to Virginia. For some time they kept the marriage secret and when it was found out, he moved into her home.[2] King went on to attend Greensboro College on scholarship for music.[3] After a vacation to Washington D.C., they moved there, settling in Virginia Heights in 1935.[2] She and her husband performed in vaudeville, where she worked as a singer.[5] They also performed in USO shows for the Navy.[5] King was a mezzo-soprano.[4] In 1946, the couple moved back to Winston-Salem.[2]
King began sculpting in the mid-1960s as a hobby[6] after one of her friends talked her into taking classes at a community center.[1] Throughout her 43-year career, she created 345 sculptures by commission.[1] She also created a large number of public art sculptures.[5]
King and Joe were divorced in 1981.[2]
King was very involved in the community in various organizations and in 1997, became the first woman president of the Twin City Club.[2] In 2003, she was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by North Carolina Governor Mike Easley.[2]
Work[edit]
In 1974, she released a book called Sculpture.[7] She was commissioned to create a bust of Armand Hammer for the Salk Institute in 1976.[8] Her first public artwork was unveiled in 1979 which was an equestrian statue of R.J. Reynolds and is located in Winston-Salem.[9] King held a one-woman show at the Galleria Luigi Bellini in Florence in 1993.[2] In 1996, she created a sculpture for Grace Court Park of Barbara Smitherman, a local parks enthusiast.[10] In 2001, she sculpted a statue of Bowman Gray for the Wake Forest School of Medicine.[11]
King signed her work with the initials, "HK."[12] She also taught sculpture for 23 years.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Smith, Kate Rauhauser (30 October 2016). "HISTORY-MAKER: Earline Heath King". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Joe King et.al. & the Sultan of Kuwait…and a lot more…". Forsyth County Public Library. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ a b "An Accident Sent Joe King on the Road to Fame". Stateville Record and Landmark. 8 December 1931. Retrieved 27 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Mrs. King is Speaker for Mentor Book Club". The Daily Times-News. 18 May 1972. Retrieved 27 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Keuffel, Ken (29 June 2011). "Earline Heath King, creator of sculptures in Winston-Salem, dies". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ "Earline Heath King Sculptures On Display at Danville Museum". The Danville Register. 21 November 1976. Retrieved 27 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sculptress Will Autograph Book". The High Point Enterprise. 10 February 1974. Retrieved 27 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "N.C. Artist Commissioned". Statesville Record and Landmark. 16 October 1976. Retrieved 27 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Breedlove, Michael (30 August 2013). "Our Favorite Public Art". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ Breedlove, Michael (7 September 2014). "Check out these 16 'hidden treasures' in Winston-Salem". Fox 8. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ "Iconic Bowman Gray Statue Moving to New Home". Camel City Dispatch. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ "Earline King, Artist and Sculptor". digital Forsyth. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
External links[edit]
- Our State episode featuring King (video)