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Gerhardt Knodel

Gerhardt Knodel

Gerhardt Knodel

Born in 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Gerhardt Knodel is a celebrated fiber artist and educator. Introduced to the potential of fabric while studying art, music, and theater as an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, Knodel went on to complete his MA in 1970 at California State University at Long Beach. He taught in California for several years before accepting a position at Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he cultivated a 37-year tenure – ultimately serving as director from 1997 until his departure in 2007. He continues to maintain an active studio practice in Michigan, and he is known for large-scale textile installations that have been commissioned and exhibited around the world. He has been recognized with an Honorary Doctorate from the Maryland Institute College of Art (1997), the Distinguished Craft Educators Award from the James Renwick Alliance (2002), and the Michigan Governor’s Art Award (2007). Knodel was elected a Fellow of the American Craft Council in 1993, and he was named a Gold Medalist in 2016.