Harry Bertoia was born in Italy in 1915. He was an artist, art sculptor, and furniture designer. He emigrated to Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 15.
- He studied art and design at Cass Technical High School and Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he met Walter Gropius, Charles and Ray Eames, and Florence Knoll.
- Initially focused on painting and jewelry, Bertoia headed the metalworking department at Cranbrook in 1939.
- In 1943, Bertoia moved to California to work with Charles and Ray Eames on the manufacture of wooden furniture.
- Bertoia created numerous large-scale public sculptures. In 1950, he moved to Pennsylvania to work with Hans and Florence Knoll.
- His "Sonambient" sculptures, created starting in the 1960s, produced unique and haunting sounds when moved by air or touch.
He received several awards:
- The Gold Medal from the Architectural League of New York and the Medal of Fine Arts from the Pennsylvania Association.
