Artist Joe Mooney, who discovered his calling to be a sculptor during a mechanical drafting class at Villanova University, died July 27. He was 74.
During the drafting class, Mooney, who always loved to build things, was fascinated by the design and construction process of the shapes they were charting, particularly how they fit together to tell a story, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Joseph Edward Mooney Jr. earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business at Villanova University in 1974.
He went on to earn degrees in sculpture at Penn State University and Alfred University.
Mr. Mooney set up a studio in West Philadelphia, where he built hundreds of pieces over 44 years.
His work has appeared in public spaces and in exhibits across the country, including Widener University, Woodmere Museum, and the James A. Michener Art Museum,
His current show, Refugees, is on display through Aug. 30 at the Patricia M. Nugent Gallery at Rosemont College in Bryn Mawr.
“My work is the romance of the soul filtered through the rationality of thought,” he said on his website. “Exploring myths and personal experiences through steel. The celebration of the positive.”
Read more about the life of sculptor Joseph Edward Mooney Jr. in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
