Alan Larkin
Associate Professor of Visual Arts
Alan Larkin received his B.A. in art from Carleton College in Northfield Minnesota in 1975 and his M.F.A. in printmaking from the Pennsylvania State University in 1977. He has been teaching drawing and printmaking for the last 31 years at Indiana University South Bend. He has won numerous prizes in regional and national competitions for his artwork including the Great Lakes Pastel Society Award at the 29th Annual Exhibition of the Pastel Society of America in 1999 and the Best of Show award at the 75th Annual Hoosier Salon Exhibit in Indianapolis. His works are in numerous private collections including the corporate collections of Pillsbury, NIPSCO, and Lincoln Life Insurance Companies. He is represented by the Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Spurious Fugitive Gallery in South Bend. Articles have been written about him in both American Artist Magazine and the Pastel Journal. His works may be seen on the web at www.LarkinStudio.com.
Some personal comments:
I spent the first 13 years of my time at IU South Bend working almost exclusively in the area of printmaking, particularly lithography. In 1991 I began to focus more on pastel drawing and oil painting. Although I continue to make prints, since it is an old and passionate addiction with me, I am now better known throughout the area for these other things. I run a printmaking atelier in the area that for a fee permits printmakers to continue to make work using my presses. I also train students to do contract printmaking for local artists.
During the summers the printmaking program offers one credit one week workshops in printmaking, papermaking and book arts. The Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts promotes these courses to area high school teachers.
I am a frame designer, having my own company, Larkin Frame.
I also have a passion for older homes. I own an historic home on West Washington Street near downtown South Bend. I have rented out rooms there for many years, hosting many students from abroad. In 2000 I purchased one of the old Studebaker mansions, also on West Washington Street, a beautiful 9000 square foot brick building with a slate roof that had been divided up into apartments. I continue to run it as an apartment building, and am gradually renovating it. I moved my painting studio into the carriage house located behind it.
