Kenneth F. Bates

b. 1904 — d. 1994

Kenneth F. Bates was a long-time member of the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Art, who specialized in enamel work and was nationally recognized for his achievements in the field. Born to Francis and Winnette Litchfield Bates in North Scituate, MA, Kenneth pursued his art education at the Massachussetts School of Art and earned his bachelor's degree there. He came to Cleveland in 1926, and one year later joined the faculty of the Cleveland School of Art (later Cleveland Institute of Art). During his forty-three years at the CIA, he taught advanced courses in enameling and became professor emeritus in 1971. In 1927 Bates submitted his first enamel work to the May Show of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it received first prize. Bates continued to submit entries to the annual May Show for the next 62 years, garnering a long list of prizes. In 1946 he was awarded first prize in the national enameling competition. His works have been displayed in many museums and were featured in one-man shows in Brooklyn and Chicago. In 1987 the National Society of Enamelists honored him with the title "Dean of American Enamelists." Bates authored three books: Enameling: Principles and Practice, 1951; The Enamelist, 1967; and Basic Design, 1970.