Please join The Crucible in honoring and remembering the life of Christian Schiess, longtime faculty member and department head at The Crucible, who passed away at 11am, September 11th, 2024 in Oakland, CA.

Christian Schiess was a San Francisco Bay area artist originally from New Mexico. His education spans several disciplines and institutions that include a B.A. from University of New Mexico-Albuquerque, in Anthropology; a B.F.A. in Visual Arts from the University of San Francisco, and an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Mills College.

Additionally, he completed a Fulbright post-graduate Fellowship at the Royal College of Art in London, UK, and is the author of the book “The Light Artist Anthology.” His awards include two grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation New York, NY, an NEA/AFI Grant Washington, DC, three NEA/Western States Regional Media Arts Fellowships, Denver, CO, and an Artist Relief Grant, United States Artists Organization, Chicago, Illinois.

His list of artist-in-residences includes two at the San Francisco Exploratorium, S.F., CA; a Bristol Exploratory residency during his UK Fulbright Fellowship, Bristol, UK; and a New York State Council on the Arts Residency in Binghamton, NY.

He had been selected twice as a visiting guest artist in Sculpture at the Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. He was the department head and faculty member at The Crucible in Oakland.

Christian Schiess came to The Crucible in 2001 as an accomplished, world renowned artist mirroring The Crucible’s mission. He was employee #9. He started the Neon department using his own tools and equipment.

Over the years, he slowly built up the tool collection in the Neon department to eventually replace his own tools. He spent countless hours of his own time creating “found objects” for students to use in their first neon projects, and to fill the pieces with gas after they had shaped the neon tubes. Over the 23 years he worked at The Crucible, he taught hundreds of students.

He also went above and beyond to curate and organize professional galleries around the Bay Area for Crucible faculty and students. These galleries inspired students to continue to take higher level classes and brought in many more students. His passion to share his knowledge and love for Neon could be easily seen with his growing student body. His passion, enthusiasm and love for neon will be missed, as will his wonderful nature and humor.

Christian was the oldest of 6 siblings survived by 2 brothers and 3 sisters and his wife, Susan Tapley-Schiess.