Randy Reid was born in Madison, WI in 1965. In 1996 he earned his MFA at Illinois State University. He recently retired after thirty years at Illinois State University as Associate Professor in the Wood and Metals programs. Randy is now an adjunct professor in the School of Art and Creative Media at Millikin University in Decatur, IL.
Reid predominately works in the medium of wood and small metals, but utilizes bronze foundry work in many of his commissioned pieces.
Reid is a master craftsman, designer and artist who creates contemporary sculpture by using traditional woodworking and metals techniques, which have been utilized for centuries in the creation of functional vessels and furniture. He has taken both furniture and the vessel form to the level of high art where function dissolves and aesthetics demand the viewer's attention. He consistently creates elegant forms in his distinctive style, blurring the line between craft and fine art.