Alexander Calder (July 22, 1898 – November 11, 1976) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to artist parents who gave him his own workshop at age eleven. Calder is best known for his wire sculptures and his invention of the mobile (kinetic sculptures moved by motors, touch, or air currents). His artwork also spans numerous mediums including jewelry, paintings, miniatures, and theatre costumes. Because of his interest in the movement of objects, Calder attended the Steven Institute of Technology in New Jersey, graduating in 1919 with an engineering degree. He then studied painting at the Art Students League in New York. While in New York, Calder worked as a sketch artist for the National Police Gazette, where he found a recurring motif in the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Calder moved to Paris in 1926 to continue his art studies, attending the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. While in Paris, Calder befriended important Abstract artists Joan Miró and Piet Mondrian. He also joined the group Abstraction-Création in 1931. Calder’s work is held in collections such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.