Peter Schifrin

Peter Schifrin

Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1958-01-05) January 5, 1958 (age 66) Los Angeles, California, United States
Height	6-2.5 (190 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Fencing
Event	epee
College team	San Jose State University (BA Boston University (MFA)
Club	Fencing Center of San Jose[1]
Medal record Representing  United States NCAA Fencing Championships 1982 South Bend Épée

Peter Schifrin (born January 5, 1958) is an American Olympic épée fencer and sculptor.

Early and personal life

Schifrin was born in Los Angeles, California, lived in Santa Rosa, California, and is Jewish.^[1][2][3] His father was a professional artist.^[4] After attending San Jose State University, where he earned a BA as a fine arts major, he earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Boston University.^[1][2][5]

Fencing career

Schifrin began fencing at age 13.^[6] While in high school he won the Junior National Épée Championship in both 1976 and 1977.^[2]

He attended and fenced for San Jose State University on a fencing scholarship from 1979 through 1982.^[7][1][2][6] There, Schifrin was a four-time All-American, and had a 266–35 win-loss record.^[2] He won the 1982 NCAA Épée National Championship—thereby becoming the university's first and only NCAA champion in men's fencing.^[1][2]

Schifrin represented the United States at the 1979 Pan American Games team, winning a gold medal, and competed at the 1979 Summer Universiade and the 1981 Summer Universiade.^[1][2] He won a silver medal in épée at the 1981 Maccabiah Games.^[1]

He competed in the team épée event at the 1984 Summer Olympics.^[1]

Schifrin was inducted into the San Jose State University Sports Hall of Fame, in the Class of 2005.^[2]

Art career

Schifrin became a poet and an artist, trained in figurative and portrait sculpture, and began making textured works in both metal and clay.^[8][6] He has had multiple commissioned works in California: he designed and executed a bronze firefighter in San Ramon, a bronze "Wounded Man" for San Mateo's Performing Arts Center, and a set of bronze coyotes for downtown San Jose.^[1][9] Schifrin also created "Wings," a series of three sculptures installed on Martha's Vineyard.^[1] Schifrin and another sculptor, David Duskin, created "J-Line," which was commissioned by another fencing Olympian, Stephen Trevor, a private equity manager.^[1] He has works on display with the Art of the Olympians.^[10][11][12]

Schifrin also teaches as an instructor at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.^[1][6] He was voted into the National Sculpture Society in 2011.^[13]

See also

• List of NCAA fencing champions

References

1. "Peter Schifrin Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
2. "A SELL OUT - 2005 San Jose State University Sports Hall of Fame ceremonies". Retrieved February 10, 2018.
3. "Jewish Post 6 July 1979". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
4. "An Interview with Peter Schifrin: Artist, Poet, Olympian," Varnish Fine Art.
5. "Peter Schifrin; Fencing/Sculpture," Art of the Olympians.
6. Silva, Elda (March 31, 2014). "Olympian athelete [sic] portrays still life". San Antonio Express-News. Hearst. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
7. "Peter Schifrin 1984 Olympic Team". January 16, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
8. "peter schifrin". www.mudpoet.com. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
9. "Olympian Art; Olympians are quite an artistic bunch. See some artwork for past Olympic athletes," The Wall Street Journal.
10. "Art of the Olympians | Peter Schifrin". artoftheolympians.org. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
11. "the sculpture of peter schifrin". www.mudpoet.com. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
12. "Varnish Fine Art: An Interview with Peter Schifrin: Artist, Poet, Olympian". Varnish Fine Art. January 5, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
13. "U.S. Olympian Peter Schifrin visits NVC". theranger.org. February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2018.

External links

• Peter Schifrin at Olympedia