Preston Eugene Jackson was born on March 1, 1944, in Decatur, Illinois. Jackson received his BFA from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and his MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana. He taught Painting and Drawing at Millikin University, and then moved on to Western Illinois University, where he taught for the next 17 years. In 1989, Preston accepted a position as a tenured professor of sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he still teaches. He has served as chair of the department and has been head of the Figurative Area of the Sculpture Department. He is now a professor emeritus at SAIC, as well as a visiting artist at Bradley University. Preston’s large-scale outdoor sculptures, as well as his smaller bronze pieces, have been exhibited widely in the U.S.

Jackson explains that his art is focused on social commentary. The visual narratives emphasize details and personalities. It is about social awareness and speaks to his respect for all living things and how closely everything is connected. Jackson’s recent sculptures deal with the subject of our history—both precise depictions of well-known historical figures as well as innovative portrayals of individuals whose lives, though unfamiliar to us, are part of our history that he wants us to learn.