I live in the Texas Hill Country with my wife and artistic collaborator Jerolyn Bahm-Colombik. Born and raised in Chicago, the city’s monumental sculptural presence helped to define an understanding of the relationship between the artist, the community, and public spaces. “Hey, I’ll meet ya at the Picasso at noon.”, was a common refrain and speaks to the profound influences that formed an early fascination and education. My high school art teacher, Elliot Balter was a professional sculptor who built his home, his personal foundry, and launched a sculpture park. At the University of Illinois – Champaign, Roger Blakley provided all the nurturing comforts of home on a deeply personal level to build a community of young sculptors who continue to thrive in the field today. Thomas Walsh is in his late 80s and continues to produce new works in bronze. As Director of the Sculpture Program at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale his influence reached well beyond the studio; readings, travel, the nature of the creative experience, how to live. In many ways, I feel as if I had Montaigne as a professor and guide. These three artistic/life mentors provided the foundation for my life in the arts and my career in academia that reached into thirty-four years at Texas State University.

I refer to the studio as a Dream Palace where I try and navigate a diverse practice that is open and expansive. Jerolyn and I have several commissioned sculptural works that are featured across the state. The socially engaged projects are often undertaken in milieus where traditions and cultural heritage have collided head-on with westernization and government malfeasance. Rooted in the tradition of documentary studies, the projects utilize contemporary formats that include installation, large-scale photography, publications, and intervention. Fulbright Scholar Program, CEC Artslink and the Texas State University Research Program have supported projects including work in Burma, Armenia, Republic of Georgia, Indonesia and Ecuador. In 2016, Jerolyn and I developed a project in collaboration with International Rescue Committee – Abilene and The Grace Museum to examine issues of assimilation and citizenship for families resettling in Abilene from Congo, Burundi and Nepal.