Born in 1945 in Wichita Falls, Texas, Gary Griffin is a metalsmith, educator, and writer recognized for his influence and expertise across the field. Griffin studied at California State University, Long Beach (BA, 1968), and Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (MFA, 1974). After graduating, Griffin spent 10 years at the Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Craftsmen as an associate professor teaching metalsmithing and jewelry. In 1984, he accepted a position at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he taught and served as head of the metalsmithing department until his retirement in 2006. Griffin often creates utilitarian works in metal and is particularly known for his commissioned gates and fences. These gates often mirror the natural landscapes they enclose, or mimic surrounding architecture. Griffin completed a 2007 residency at the John Michael Kohler Company, where he departed from his typical work to create sculptural pieces inspired by metallic elements. Griffin has exhibited and lectured widely throughout his career and has authored a number of essays, reviews, and articles for publications including American Craft and Metalsmith. He was selected to be interviewed for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art in 2004, and he was the recipient of two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (1976 and 1977). Gary Griffin was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 2005.