Jere Meisel Grimm was born in 1933 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her lifelong devotion to ceramic sculpture and fiber began early. She earned her BFA from the School of Fine Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. A formative experience came during a summer at the Cleveland Art Institute, where she studied under Bill McVey. There, she learned an ancient sculptural technique using heavy grog clay and sturdy wall construction—an intuitive, grounded method that has shaped her ceramic practice for over 70 years. Her love of fiber came from her grandmother and evolved into elaborate hooked wall hangings.

Jere met her husband and lifelong collaborator, Ray Grimm, in art school. The two eventually settled in Portland, Oregon, where Ray founded the ceramics department at Portland State College. Together, they raised six children and sustained a remarkable partnership in both life and art. Their collaborative work spanned studio and public art, including iconic installations such as the Weather Machine in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square and large-scale commissions at Skamania Lodge and Salishan Lodge.

Jere’s sculpture has been exhibited nationally and regionally, earning numerous awards and honors. Her travels with Ray throughout the Mediterranean and British Isles have deeply influenced her work, infusing it with the mythic, the elemental, and the timeless. Jere continues to make work to this day, exploring themes of the sacred feminine and environmental stewardship through poetry.