Phebe Hemphill
Phebe Hemphill (born April 25, 1960) is an American sculptor who works for the United States Mint. She has been called "one of the preeminent coin artists, sculptors, and engravers of our time."
Phebe Hemphill
- Name
- Phebe Hemphill
- Born
- 25 April 1960
- Birthplace
- West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
- Education
- Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
- Known for
- Sculpture
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- sculptor · medalist
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Phebe Hemphill (born April 25, 1960) is an American sculptor who works for the United States Mint. She has been called "one of the preeminent coin artists, sculptors, and engravers of our time."
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wikidata · Q23055148 · wikipedia · Phebe Hemphill
In this article
Biography
Biography
Phebe Hemphill studied at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Agnes Irwin School. Residence is recorded at Philadelphia. Employment is recorded with United States Mint, Franklin Mint and McFarlane Toys. Work by Phebe Hemphill is recorded in the collections of Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Phebe Hemphill • Born — 25 April 1960 • Birthplace — West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States • Education — Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts • Known for — Sculpture
Early life and education
Early life and education
Hemphill was born April 25, 1960, in West Chester, Pennsylvania to Dallett Hemphill and Ann Cornwell Hemphill. A number of Phebe Hemphill's family members, including her father and grandfather, were interested in coin and medal collecting. She was directly inspired by her grandfather, Gibbons Gray Cornwell Jr., who did bas-relief sculpture, who in turn was influenced by her great-great aunt, Martha Jackson Cornwell, who worked with Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Hemphill attended Agnes Irwin School for girls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1978. Hemphill trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, graduating in 1987. She also studied with Evangelos Frudakis. Hemphill includes Jules-Clément Chaplain, Jean-Baptiste Daniel-Dupuis, Oscar Roty, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and Adolph A. Weinman among her artistic influences.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions
Hemphill's work has been shown by the National Sculpture Society, the American Medallic Sculpture Association, the F.A.N. Gallery in Philadelphia, and West Chester University.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1960
Phebe Hemphill born at West Chester.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- Philadelphia
Named but not plotted · 1
West Chester.
Birth place
Sculpture
• Illustration — An American Women quarter featuring Celia Cruz, sculpted by Hemphill and released in 2024 In 1987, Hemphill joined the Franklin Mint in the sculpture department. She remained there until 2002, working on porcelain and medallic art. From 2002 until 2005 she worked as a staff sculptor at McFarlane Toys, in Bloomingdale, New Jersey. In 2006, she joined the United States Mint in Philadelphia. She has sculpted many coins and medals for the U.S. Mint, including the 2013 Presidential $1 Coin obverse for William McKinley; the 2011 September 11 National Medal World Trade center obverse; the Monuments men bronze medal; and coin series of Five-Star Generals, First Spouses and Code talkers. Several America the Beautiful quarters including Gettysburg, the Grand Canyon, Mount Hood, and Yosemite are also Hemphill's work. Hemphill lives in Philadelphia. She frequently visits sites which will be featured in her work, including Shenandoah National Park and the September 11 attack locations. She uses both digital and traditional methods in her work, working with 3-D imaging software as well as creating coin designs on clay blanks the size of dinner plates. In the 2020s, Hemphill worked on the American Women quarters series.
Awards
• 2014, Winner of Congressional Medal Design Contest for the September 11 attacks • 2000, Alex J. Ettel Grant, National Sculpture Society • 2001, Renaissance Sculpture Award, the Franklin Mint
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Johnson, Dick. HEMPHILL, Phebe (1960– ) sculptor. Medal Artists Database.
- 2.Price, Bill. Dallett Hemphill, 74; W. Chester Lawyer. The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 5, 1998.
- 3.Leonard, John William. Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914–1915. American commonwealth Company. 207. 1914.
- 4.September 24, 2014. Phebe Hemphill '78, Winner of Congressional Medal Design Contest. Agnes Irwin School.
- 5.Loviglio, JoAnn. PAFA Alum's Creations Right in Your Pocket. PAFA Perspectives. December 2015.
- 6.Coin Designer's Profile: Phebe Hemphill. CoinWeek. August 26, 2015.
- 7.Cartagena, Rosa. The 2024 Celia Cruz quarter was made in Philadelphia. Inquirer.com. 2024-10-16.
- 8.Medallic sculptors join U.S. Mint staff. Numismatic News. July 21, 2008.
- 9.Unser, Mike. 2013 Presidential $1 Coin Designs Revealed. Coin News. December 18, 2012.
- 10.Tucker, Dennis. Controversial U.S. Mint Silver Medal Remembers the Victims, Emergency Responders, and Survivors of 9/11. Coin Update. November 10, 2015.
- 11.Gilkes, Paul. U.S. Mint to offer bronze versions of three Fallen Heroes of 9/11 congressional gold medals. Coin World. September 10, 2014.
- 12.Mucha, Peter. 9/11 medals from U.S. Mint go on sale Monday. The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 16, 2011.
- 13."Monuments Men" Bronze Medals. Mint News Blog. October 23, 2015.
- 14.Gilkes, Paul. Mint unveils designs for 5-Star Generals coins. Coin World. October 30, 2012.
- 15.Gilkes, Paul. 2014 First Spouse gold $10 coins honor efforts of first ladies Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt. Coin World. July 9, 2014.
- 16.Phebe Hemphill. The United States Mint.
- 17.Kay, Rhonda. 2014 Shenandoah Quarter Bags and Rolls on Sale. CoinNews. March 31, 2014.
- 18.Unser, Mike. US Mint Artists at Philadelphia Sculpt Digitally and in Clay. Coin News. September 6, 2013.
- 19.Quillman, Catherine. Four Local Artists Show Their Work At West Chester University Gallery. The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 5, 2000.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
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Secondary witness
People, houses and institutions
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People, houses and institutions
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Studied at
1- Agnes Irwin SchoolOrganisation
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Further particulars
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Further particulars
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Phebe Hemphill is recorded as having studied at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Agnes Irwin School. Connected to 1 other published record in the VALÉORINE Encyclopedia.
Activity and practice
Within the Encyclopedia
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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