Jacob Foran US, b. 1983

Jacob Foran (US. 1983; MFA 2010) is a Seattle based ceramic artist.  Born in Urbana, Illinois, Foran received a BFA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the interdisciplinary Painting & Sculpture Program.  He then obtained a second BFA in Ceramics from the Univ. of IL in 2008, where he was awarded Allie D. Hughston-Enochs Scholarship for the Outstanding Graduate in the School of Art+Design.   Prior to transferring to the Univ. of Illinois School of Art, Foran received a full tuition merit scholarship from Parkland College where is obtained an AFA with an emphasis in Drawing & Painting.  During these years, he developed working relationships with Cinema Gallery and Ann Nathan Gallery in Chicago. 

 Jacob moved to Seattle in 2008 to study with artists Akio Takamori, Doug Jeck, and Jamie Walker in the University of Washington's Ceramics Department (consistently ranked in the top five nationally according to the U.S. News and World Report).  Foran received the Kottler & Noritake Scholarship from the UW and the national juried Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship (20k) in 2009.  He was awarded First Prize in the national Marge Brown Kalodner Graduate Student Exhibit at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA.  Foran began his teaching career while a graduate student at the UW under guidance from Akio Takamori.  Upon receiving his MFA he was also given the Teaching With Excellence Award from the School of Art+Art History+Design at the UW.  Jacob is currently a faculty member in the Visual Arts Department at Lakeside Upper School in Seattle, WA. and a partner/founder of the 3d printed ceramics design company Foran | Suon.