Harry Frederick Breen was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1930. He did his undergraduate study in art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he studied painting with Paul Wiegahrt and John Rogers Cox. He did his graduate study at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Breen joined the faculty of the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois in 1959. He retired from the faculty as a professor emeritus of art in 1985.

Harry Breen in his Champaign, Illinois studio.

Harry Breen has participated in many competitive and invitational exhibitions in the United States and abroad, although from 1971 until recently, he declined entering competitive exhibitions because of problems with breakage and careless handling of shipping. In the years he submitted work to competitive exhibitions, Breen received ten awards. He has had thirty-two solo exhibitions including “Harry Breen: Retrospective XXV” at the Lakeview Center for Art and Sciences in 1977.

In 1993, Harry Breen and his wife, Diane were awarded “Ecclesiae et Pontifice” medals by Pope John Paul II.

Harry Breen lives with his wife, Diane in Champaign and north Pope County, Illinois.

Harry Breen is listed in “Who’s Who in American Art.”

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