Aristides Burton Demetrios, also known as "Ari," was born in 1932 and raised in Massachusetts, where he lived during childhood in Gloucester. His father George Demetrios was a classical sculptor, trained by Bourdelle, a student of Auguste Rodin. His mother Virginia Lee Burton was the renowned author and illustrator of children's books, including Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and The Little House, for which she won the prestigious Caldecott Medal. She was also a textile designer, founding the Folly Cove cooperative.
After graduating from Harvard College in 1953, Ari Demetrios served as an officer for three years in the US Navy. He studied art and sculpture at the George Demetrios School from 1956 to 1959. He studied at the University of California School of Architecture, in 1959.
In 1963, Demetrios won his first national sculpture competition, when his proposed design was selected for a major fountain commission on the campus of Stanford University (The White Memorial Fountain: "Mem Claw" ). Soon after, he was chosen for a public art commission in Sacramento in front of the County Courthouse. Next he was selected by David and Lucille Packard to design and fabricate a sculpture for the entry to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (Forms Sung In A Kelp Forest).
Demetrios lives in Santa Ynez, California.
Demetrios successfully completed several monumental public sculptures, including Wind Harp (1967) in South San Francisco; Flame of Freedom,the Bataan War Memorial on the island of Corregidor; the 80' sculpture Cosmos, the fountain Pierine in New York City, Breakthrough, etc.) Wind Harp (1967) was designed for and installed on a hilltop in a South San Francisco industrial park. Originally it was called Cabot, Cabot and Forbes, after the developers of the industrial park. 92 feet tall and made of open metalwork of rusted steel, it is an aeolian harp, strummed by wind.
Since the late 20th century, Demetrios has designed, fabricated and installed a large number of commissioned works for the gardens of private collectors, including several bronze fountains. In addition, he has had several gallery and museum shows featuring his figurative bronze sculptures, such as Trickster; his abstract bronze sculptures, such as The Cube, and his painted or patinaed steel sculptures, such as Tomorrow's Dreams. Many of these pieces are held in private collections.
In 2002, Demetrios won the "Santa Barbara Beautiful Award" for the most beautiful work of public art. It was given to acknowledge his 18' bronze fountain, Mentors, a centerpiece at Santa Barbara City College, in a site overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The Fountain was donated to the campus by Eli Luria and Michael Towbes, two Santa Barbara philanthropists. Each owns other works by Demetrios.
2009 Wiford Gallery, Santa Fe, NM2009 Jardin De La Granada, Santa Barbara, CA2009 Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA2000 Vail Gallery, Des Moines, IA1997 Addison Ripley Gallery, Washington, D.C.1992 Michael Dunev Gallery, San Francisco, CA1992 Michael Dunev Gallery, San Francisco, CA1992 Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Carmel, CA1991 Trition Museum, Santa Clara, CA1991 Michael Dunev Gallery, San Francisco, CA1989 Ianetti-Lanzone Gallery, San Francisco, CA1988 Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA1987 Gallery 30, San Mateo, CA 1985 Victor Fischer Gallery, Oakland, CA1981 Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, CT1980 New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT1980 San Francisco Gallery, San Francisco, CA1967 M.H. de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA 1965 Stanford University Union, Stanford, CA1962 Golden Gate Gallery, San Francisco, CA2008 Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA2001 Vail Gallery, Des Moines, IA1998 Addison Ripley Gallery, Washington D.C.1996 Addison Ripley Gallery, Washington, D.C.1990 Beyond the Frame, ALZA, Palo Alto, CA1989 Gallerie des Arts Quotidiens, Paris1988 Bay Area Bronzes, Walnut Creek Cultural Center, Walnut Creek, CA1986 San Francisco Sculpture Festival, San Francisco, CA 1985; Civic Arts Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA1984 Hastings Law School Gallery, San Francisco, CA1983 San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA1983 Brook House Gallery, Orinda, CA1982 International Sculpture Conference Invitational, Oakland, CA1981 San Francisco A.I.A., San Francisco, CA1980 Gloucester Lyceum, Gloucester, MA1976 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA1968 Northern California A.I.A., San Francisco, CACompetitions and awards
2000 Santa Barbara Beautiful Award for Best Sculpture1990 Award for Natoma Station Art Program, Folsom1986 Merit Award for Fawcett Residence Program1982 A.S.L.A. Award of Merit for Discovery Sculpture Park1975 A.I.A. Honor Award for VINEYARD (1972), L.A.C.C. Award for PRIMAVERA1968 San Francisco Hall of Justice Competition1967 Pacific War Memorial Competition1965 CVAIA Award of Excellence for PROTEUS1964 Alameda County Competition1964 White Memorial Competition2008-9 GENERATIONS, 21' bronze fountain, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA2007-9 BEGINNINGS, 40" stainless steel, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA2007 VULCAN, 4 Meter stainless steel, Benarrosh collection, Montecito, CA2006 OCEANUS, 9' bronze fountain, Cohasset, MA2006 NAIAD, 9' bronze, Tragos Collection, Montecito, CA2005 CITIZEN, bronze figure and flag, ATT Building, Minneapolis, MN2004 ACROBATS, 14- 7' bronze figures, Pacific Commons, Fremont, CA2002 SURGE, Dart/Cohen Collection, Santa Barbara, CA2001 JOIE DE VIVRE, 9 Acrobats, Emmons Collection, Santa Barbara, CA2000 MENTORS, 18', City College of Santa Barbara, CA1998 ARC, 11' stainless steel, Gov. and Mrs Mark Warner, Arlington VA1996 THE CART, 12 figures, 7', Health South, Birmingham, AL1992 Bronze Fountain, Kawea Hospital, Visalia, CA1992 CALL ME ISHMAEL, bronze, 7' tall, Harper Group, San Francisco, CA1991 ON THE EDGE, bronze, 10' tall, Private Residence, Adrian, MI1990 KING AND CONSORT, bronze, two elements, 8' tall, Private residence, Atherton, CA1990 COSMOS, Painted steel, 80' tall, Olympus Pointe, Roseville, CA1990 GOLDMAN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD, bronze on granite, San Francisco, CA1989 FIGURE, bronze, 10' tall, Private residence, Atherton, CA1989 FLIGHT, bronze fountain, 10' tall1989 CELEBRATION, stainless steel fountain, 25' tall, Pacific Concourse, Los Angeles, CA1989 SEA URCHIN, bronze fountain, 8' diameter, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA1989 STELE, bronze fountain, 10' tall, Private residence, San Diego, CA1989 RED GOTHIC, Painted steel, 7' tall, Alta Plaza Park, San Francisco, CA1989 DOG GOD, bronze, 7' tall, Private residence, Ross, CA1988 CELEBRATIONS, 25', Pacific Concourse, Los Angeles, CA1988 ZIG, painted steel, 6' tall, Private residence, Inverness, CA1988 THREE DISKS, painted steel, 6.5' tall, Private residence, Glen Ellen, CA1988 SOLSTICE, painted steel, 6' tall, Private residence, Atherton, CA1988 SPRING, Bronze fountain, 7' tall, One Ygnacio Plaza, Walnut Creek, CA1988 I/THOU, bronze fountain, two elements, 8.5' tall, Private residence, Glen Ellen, CA1988 DUE, bronze fountain, Private residence, Pebble Beach, CA1988 PEIRENE, bronze, 10' tall, Entrance Plaza, The Corinthian, New York City, NY1986 EGIRIA, bronze fountain, 8' tall, Private Residence, San Francisco, CA1986 A FANFARE OF DOLPHINS, bronze fountain, 14' tall, Marine World Africa USA, Vallejo, CA1986 MERLIN, painted steel, 25' tall, Research Development Park, Emeryville, CA1985 SOURCE, bronze fountain, 15' tall Airport Technology Park, Santa Clara, CA,1984 BREAKTHROUGH, Painted steel, 12' x 20' x 30', Airport Technology Park, Santa Clara, CA1984 CRUCIBLE, bronze, 8' tall, Washington, San Francisco, CA1984 FORMS SUNG IN A KELP FOREST, Bronze fountain, 6 elements 12'4" tall, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA1984 SENTINEL II, bronze fountain, 13' tall, Private residence, San Francisco, CA1983 CARING, bronze, two elements 19' tall, Atrium of 2855 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA1983 INTERLOCK, bronze, 5' tall, Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA1983 ARCHON, bronze, 5' tall, Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA1982 EARTH SHIFT, bronze fountain, 12' tall, Trans Pacific Centre, Oakland, CA1981-82 FOUNTAIN, Four groups in bronze, 6' tall, EBSCO Headquarters, Birmingham, AL1980 INSCRIPTION FOUNTAIN, Bronze, 40' x 10', Heritage Park, Ft. Worth, TX1979 DISCOVERY SCULPTURE PARK, Thirty small bronze sculptures, Nationwide Plaza, Columbus, OH1979 ST. JOSEPH, ST. MARY, Two bronze reliefs, life size, Our Lady of Fatima Church, Modesto, CA1978 SUNBURST, Three Corten steel reliefs, 10' x 4', Peerless Electric Company, Berkeley, CA1977 SEA HARVEST, bronze fountain, 4' tall, lSawyer Free Library, Gloucester, MA1977 WINVANE, bronze, kinetic, 6' tall Private residence, Sausalito, CA1976 SUNBURST, bronze helix /sphere, 26' diameter Suspended over atrium, Phoenix Hyatt Regency Hotel, Phoenix, AZ1975 FOUNTAIN, bronze, 4' x 5' x 4', Banker's Equity Building, San Francisco, CA1975 SEASCAPES, Series of bronze fountains, 9' x 12' x 11', Terrace Garden Inn, Atlanta, GA1973 GIRLS DANCING, bronze figures, ¼ life size, Mary Institute, St. Louis, CA1973 INTERFACE, bronze fountain, 7' x 8', First Unitarian Church, San Francisco1973 SENTINELS, bronze, 8' x 6' x 10'1972 ARIZONA, Triad of copper reliefs, 11' x 10', First National Bank of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ1971 TUMBLER, Corten steel, 12' x 13' x 10', Public Square, Springfield, MO1971 PRIMAVERA, bronze fountain, 35' tall, The Prudential, Los Angeles, CA1970 OCEANUS, bronze and copper fountain, 70' x 14' x 10', Milton Hershey School, Hershey, PA1970 TWO CONIC SECTIONS, bronze fountain, 18' tall, Summit Savings & Loan, Santa Rosa, CA1970 CLOCK TOWER, Corten steel, kinetic, 11' x 11' x 22', Park Newport, Newport Beach, CA1970 TRIAD, chromed aluminum, suspended kinetic, 35' tall, Park Plaza, Oshkosh, WI1969 FOUNTAIN, bronze, 6' x 6' x 4', The Bank of California, Portland, OR1968 THE GOLDEN FLEECE, bronze relief, 22' long, Wells Fargo Bank, Oakland, CA1968 FLAME OF FREEDOM, Corten steel, 40' tall, Corregidor Island, the Philippines1968 RELIEF (untitled), bronze and copper, 7' x 4', Mercy Hospital Carmichael, CA1967 HARP WIND, 92', South San Francisco park, CA1967 WIND HARP (formerly CABOT, CABOT AND FORBES TOWER), Mayari R steel, 92' tall, CFF Industrial Park, South San Francisco, CA1967 SKY DIVERS, Three bronze double-life size figures, 30' tall, Fashion Island, Newport Beach, CA1967 FLIGHT, bronze and copper, 9' tall, Private Residence, Woodside, CA1966 GENESIS, bronze and copper fountain, 22' wide, 10' tall, Northwest Plaza, St. Louis, MO1965 PROTEUS, bronze and copper fountain, 32' diameter, 6" tall, Sacramento County Courthouse, CA1964 RENAISSANCE, bronze and copper, 16' tall, ALCO Park, Oakland, CA1964 WHITE MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN, bronze and copper, 16' tall, Stanford University, Stanford, CA1963 SPRAY, bronze copper fountain, 4' x4' x 7' tall, Sonoma Mortgage Company Santa Rosa, CA1962 SUN AND WAVE, bronze and steel relief, 6' x 10', Royal Pacific Motel, San Francisco, CACHAIR. UN 50TH ANNIVERSARY SAN FRANCISCO, CREATION OF UN PLAZA, SF SAN FRANCISCO ART COMMISSIONER 1989-93 ACQUISITIONS COMMITTEE SFMOMA (ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN) 1992-5 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE UC SANTA BARBARA 1998-2000
1987 BREAKTHROUGH, a documentary by Eames Demetrios, first shown in April 1987 on KQED-TV. San Francisco. Distributed by Home Video Artist Series.2009, Demetrios was featured on Santa Barbara’s Channel 21 – Artist Series
