John Wilfred Outterbridge was born in Greenville, North Carolina in 1933. After one year at Agricultural and Technical College, Outterbridge joined the Air Force in order to obtain the G.I Bill which would enable him to finish his education. While in the service, he began painting signs and murals in officer's club.

After his discharge, he moved to Chicago and studied at the American Academy of Art. He moved to Los Angeles in 1963 and soon was doing installation work for the Pasadena Art Museum. An African-American, much of Outterbridge's work centers around black culture. He was the first director of the Watts Towers Art Center, and served in that role for seventeen years. His sculpture wor

Source: Edan Hughes, author of the book "Artists in California, 1786-1940"


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