Garth Potts - Birmingham

Garth Potts likes to joke that, in his “first life”, he fantasized about being a sports cartoonist. Sadly for that profession, he was forced to acknowledge that he enjoyed life’s simple pleasures (eating, raising a family, paying a mortgage or two, etc.,), foreclosing that option. In spite of that disappointment, he went on to receive both his Bachelor of Fine Arts (from SUNY at Buffalo) and Master of Fine Arts (from University of Oklahoma) degrees. When his door wasn’t beaten down with job opportunities in the arts, he eventually settled into a career in Jewish communal service and came to Birmingham several years ago to be the Executive Director of the Levite Jewish Community Center. While he loves his work, his passion is still art, and he does it in many forms of artwork, including cartoons, illustrations, paintings, charcoal portraits and calligraphy. Major influences on his caricature work include Honore Daumier, the 19th Century French satirist; Thomas Nast, the thorn in the side of many late 19th century American politicians; and Al Hirschfeld, the magnificent minimalist “Line King” of NY Times theatrical section fame.

His web site shows his versatility: www.garthpotts.com