Gary Jurysta

Artist

Gary Jurysta graduated from Butler Area High School in 1955. After serving four years in the US Navy, he earned a degree in Art Education from Edinboro State University, an M.Ed in Art at the University of Pittsburgh, and an M.F.A. in Painting at Brooklyn College in New York City. While living in New York City Mr. Jurysta produced many prints at the Parson’s School of Design as a participant in the workshops conducted by John Ross (author of “The Complete Printmaker”). He taught printmaking at several universities, including classes at SRU from 2002–2004. He and his wife June Edwards, also an artist, lived in New York City for twenty years and moved to Pittsburgh in 2020.

During his long career as a fine artist and educator Mr. Jurysta’s work was exhibited widely. In 2013 he received the Master Visual Artist award, and in early 2019 Mr. Jurysta had a career-wide retrospective of his work at the Southern Allegheny Museum of Art in Altoona, PA. Mr. Jurysta passed away in March 2020, and a Memorial Exhibition was held at the Spinning Plate Gallery in April of 2022.