Charles Umlauf

Who was Charles Umlauf?

Charles Umlauf was an American sculptor and teacher who was born in South Haven, Michigan.

In 1929 he began three years of study with Albin Polasek at the Art Institute of Chicago. He subsequently spent one year as an assistant to Lorado Taft at his Midway Studio before returning to the AIC where he remained until 1937. Those years saw a growth in Umlauf's interest in the more abstract sculptures being produced in Europe, and as a consequence, his own pieces became increasingly abstracted.

The Great Depression years found Umlauf employed by the WPA Federal Art Project, creating art for a Chicago school as well as several Federal projects.

In 1941 Umlauf accepted a position at the University of Texas school of art in Austin, Texas and taught there for 40 years. Artists teaching at UT with Umlauf included Kelly Fearing and Seymour Fogel. In 1981, Umlauf retired as a professor emeritus. In 1985 he donated his home, studio and many works of art to the city of Austin, and the location was subsequently turned into the Umlauf Sculpture Garden.