Joseph Jicha, "commercial artist and watercolorist, was born in Austria-Hungary to Rudolph and Helen (Remesch) Jicha, and came to Cleveland with his family as an infant. His father was a skilled coppersmith who worked decorations for the Cleveland Institute of Art. He apprenticed 13-year-old Joseph to sculptor Walter Sinz at the Institute.

As a student, Jicha was a member of the Kokoon Arts Club. The Cleveland Community Fund commissioned him to design a poster for its campaign in 1928. In 1929, Jicha won the international Frank Logan Medal at the Chicago Art Institute for painting. He believed his commercial work helped him as a painter, because of the careful planning of design work.

Jicha worked for...