American Renaissance of Coin Design: Talk by Chris Costello

Arlington resident Chris Costello will present an illustrated talk on February 23 at the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum about the history and current state of American coin design. “The American Renaissance of Coin Design: Artists and Artistry of United States Coinage, 1904-Present” will cover the methods and selection process for coin design, artists past and present, and the stories behind the winning designs. The talk starts at 7:00 P.M. in the lower level of the Jefferson Cutter House, 611 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington Center. Tickets ($7 members, $10 non-members) can be purchased online at dallin.org.

Chris Costello is a professional artist, coin designer, illustrator and typographer with proficiencies in traditional and digital media. Since 2010, Chris has been a member of the Artistic Infusion Program of the United States Mint and had submitted designs for over thirty numismatic programs. He is credited with designing eleven American coins and medals including the 2014 Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains National Park Quarter, the 2016 Mark Twain Commemorative Silver Dollar, the 2016 National Park Service 100th Anniversary and the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Congressional Gold Medal.

Chris studied advertising design at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and earned a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design and Visual Communication from Northeastern University in Boston. As a fine artist, he enjoys drawing and painting historic architecture, landscapes, portraits and experimental work in various mediums. He serves as a Trustee at The Cyrus Dallin Art Museum and lives with his family in Arlington, MA.

The mission of the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum is to promote new insights into our shared history by exploring the life, work, and values of Cyrus E. Dallin (1866-1944), celebrated sculptor of Arlington, Massachusetts. Since it’s founding in 1995, the Museum’s collection has quadrupled and presently consists of over 60 works of art including sculptures (freestanding and relief), medals, coins, and paintings.

Cyrus Dallin also designed coins and medals during his professional artistic career. Most noteworthy was his design for the Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar, which was first issued in 1920 and features the Plymouth Colony’s Governor William Bradford on the obverse of the coin and the Mayflower on the reverse. The U.S. Mint retains Dallin’s models for the coin.

Every year hundreds of visitors participate in a wide variety of lectures, tours, educational programs and special events. Located at 611 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington Center, the museum is open Friday through Sunday from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. Look online at dallin.org or on Facebook to learn more about this and other museum sponsored events.