Introduction

American Academy in Rome

John Rhoden worked and studied at the American Academy in Rome from 1951-1954, first under a Fulbright Fellowship and then the Prix de Rome. During this time, Rhoden worked diligently, traveled extensively, and met fellow artists and lifelong friends, such as Richard C. Bell.

State Department Travel

From 1955 to 1956, John Rhoden served as an art specialist with the United States Department of State, touring over a dozen countries in Europe and Africa. From 1958 to 1959, Rhoden toured several countries in Asia as an art specialist after touring the Soviet Union with a team of art specialists, including Lamar Dodd, Franklin C. Watkins, and William A. Smith. During these tours, Rhoden and his companions shared American art and formed international networks.

Rockefeller Foundation Travel Grant

From 1961 through 1963, John Rhoden worked in Bangung, Indonesia under a Rockefeller Grant to set up a bronze foundry at the Institut Teknologi in Bandung. Due to conflicts that arose in Indonesia just before the Rhodens’ arrival that prevented them from accessing their tools, Rhoden ended up creating numerous wood carvings in an open-air studio in Bandung.