Ted Egri was born in New York City in 1913 into an artistic family. Egri enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and was discharged in 1945. While in the Navy, he worked drafting maps in the Hydrographic Department in Maryland. He was also the Chief Petty Officer in charge of drafting and map reproduction in the Southwest Pacific on the amphibious command ship U.S.S. Blue Ridge. During his service, Egri drew and painted extensively, honing his skills as an artist. Although he did not receive any formal academic degrees in the arts, he studied at art schools in New York City and New Mexico, and eventually became a successful sculptor.
In 1950, Egri and his wife move to Taos, New Mexico where he taught sculpture, life drawing, still life drawing, and painting. He was also a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, University of Illinois in Urbana, and the State College of Iowa in Cedar Falls. He taught various art workshops in Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas. In addition to lecturing at the university level, Mr. Egri taught art classes to numerous art clubs and elementary school classes and participated in many seminars in the New Mexico region.
Among the prizes Egri has won are first prize for sculpture at the New Mexico State Fair Art Exhibit in 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962; second prize in 1955 and 1956; third prize for drawing in 1961; and Grand Award in 1962. He also produced many commissioned pieces in California, New Mexico, Texas, Iowa, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. Pictures of his work have appeared in many publications about sculpture in general, and sculpture in the West.
From the guide to the Ted Egri Papers, 1952-1974, (University of New Mexico. Center for Southwest Research.)
