John Risley 1919–2001
John Risley was an accomplished sculptor, artist, and furniture designer from Waterville, Maine whose skills were honed while obtaining degrees from Amherst College, the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Cranbrook Academy of Arts. He taught at Cranbrook and also served as the wood products designer for the United States Mutual Security Agency prior to becoming a professor at Wesleyan University in 1954, where he remained until retiring in 1987. He was best known for bringing a sense of humor to his work and received international acclaim for his satirical drawings and cartoons, even winning a first prize at the 1983 Festival of Humor and Satire in Bulgaria.
