Ed Rossbach

Ed Rossbach (Chicago, 1914 – Berkeley, California, October 7, 2002) was an American fiber artist. His career began with ceramics and weaving in the 1940s, but evolved over the next decade into basket making, including playful baskets made from nontraditional materials such as plastic and newspaper.

Rossbach earned a BA in Painting and Design at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington in 1940, an MA in art education from Columbia University in New York City in 1941, and an MFA in ceramics and weaving from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1947.

Rossbach taught at Puyallup Jr. High School in Puyallup, Washington from 1941 to 1942 before enlisting in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, Alaska Communication System, from 1942-1945. After World War II, he taught at the University of Washington School of Art, in Seattle, Washington from 1947 to 1950, and at the University of California, Berkeley from 1950 to 1979.

In 1950 Rossbach married Katherine Westphal, a textile designer, and creator of art quilts and wearable art. He died at age 88 after a prolonged illness on October 7, 2002. Provided by Wikipedia