Joseph Menna
Encyclopedia
Joseph F. Menna is an American sculptor and engraver who currently works for the United States Mint
. Menna sculpted the reverse
of the 2010 Lincoln Cent.
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, New York Academy Graduate School of Figurative Art
in New York City, New York and Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy
in St. Petersburg, Russia. He also supplemented his training with studies at Arts Students League
, and the Sculpture Center in Manhattan, New York.
As a professional fine art sculptor, Menna's clients include DC Comics
, Fisher-Price
and Hasbro
, among others.
In 2005, Menna joined the United States Mint
as a medallic sculptor. He sculpted the design of United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Associate Designer Lyndall Bass
into the 2010 Lincoln Cent and his initials, JFM, appear on the reverse of the coin under the right side of the scroll.
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
. Menna sculpted the reverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of the 2010 Lincoln Cent.
Biography
Menna trained formally at the University of the ArtsUniversity of the Arts (Philadelphia)
The University of the Arts is one of the United States' oldest universities dedicated to the arts. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, New York Academy Graduate School of Figurative Art
New York Academy of Art
The New York Academy of Art or the Graduate School of Figurative Art is an American private, not-for-profit art university, located at 111 Franklin Street in the Manhattan borough of New York City.-Foundation:...
in New York City, New York and Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy
Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy
The Saint Petersburg State Art and Industry Academy, named after Alexander von Stieglitz and informally known as the Vera Mukhina Higher School of Art and Design, was founded in Saint Petersburg in 1876 as the School of Technical Drawing of Baron Alexander von Stieglitz...
in St. Petersburg, Russia. He also supplemented his training with studies at Arts Students League
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
, and the Sculpture Center in Manhattan, New York.
As a professional fine art sculptor, Menna's clients include DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, Fisher-Price
Fisher-Price
Fisher-Price is a company that produces toys for infants and children, headquartered in East Aurora, New York. Fisher-Price has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel since 1993.-History:...
and Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
, among others.
In 2005, Menna joined the United States Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
as a medallic sculptor. He sculpted the design of United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Associate Designer Lyndall Bass
Lyndall Bass
Lyndall Bass is an American realist painter and teacher known for her still lifes, flower paintings and symbolist figure paintings. She lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the designer of the 2010 penny known as the Union Shield Penny.-Biography:Bass was born in North Carolina...
into the 2010 Lincoln Cent and his initials, JFM, appear on the reverse of the coin under the right side of the scroll.
Awards and honors
Along with the 2010 Lincoln Cent, Menna is also credited with designing or sculpting:- 2007 First Spouse Martha WashingtonMartha WashingtonMartha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
obverse (design and sculpt) - 2007 First Spouse Abigail AdamsAbigail AdamsAbigail Adams was the wife of John Adams, who was the second President of the United States, and the mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth...
obverse (design and sculpt) - 2007 UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
State Quarter50 State QuartersThe 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of circulating commemorative coins by the United States Mint. Between 1999 and 2008, it featured each of the 50 U.S. states on unique designs for the reverse of the quarter....
reverse (design and sculpt) - 2007 Presidential $1 George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
obverse (design and sculpt) - 2007 Presidential $1 Thomas JeffersonThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
obverse (design and sculpt) - 2006 San Francisco Mint GoldSan Francisco Old Mint GoldIn 2006, the United States Mint released a gold five dollar commemorative coin which commemorates the 100th year after the old San Francisco mint survived an earthquake....
obverse (sculpt)