Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
RIP, Chris Sorensen, 98: Fresno's 'Man of Steel' and ArtHop Founder
NANCY WEBSITE HEADSHOT 1
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 1 year ago on
March 13, 2024

Share

Chris Sorensen, known as Fresno’s “Man of Steel” for his metal sculpture, died Friday.

Sorensen’s south Fresno studios and gallery were the founding location for the city’s ArtHop.

His career as an artist began when his son took art classes at McLane High and asked for his help to learn welding.


Metal sculptor Chris Sorensen, a giant in Fresno’s art world who was as well known for his own work as for advocating for the works of other artists, died Friday. He was 98.

Once asked about the best gift he’d ever been given, Chris Sorensen replied, “Life. You know what I want for Christmas? Another one.”

Nicknamed the “Man of Steel,” Christian Marius Sorensen Jr. founded the Chris Sorensen Gallery & Studios, proclaimed as “The Heart of Art in Fresno; Where visual, performance, and culinary artists collide for 30+ years!”

He brought working artists and their work to an industrial part of south Fresno and provided the original home for Fresno’s ArtHop, which has since spread to many locations across the city and is held monthly on the first and third Thursdays.

His death prompted many tributes on the Fresno Art Museum’s Facebook page.

“Chris was loved by everyone for good reason. I first met him in a sculpture class at Fresno State in 1990 and had the honor of being a part of the studio for years. He was an incredible man.” — Léa McAndrews

“Thank you for so much from all of us, dear Chris. You did so much for the arts, and every one of us. May you rest in peace and in love.” — Jackie Ryle

“Chris was pure love…he touched each person he met with his acceptance, understanding and love. He always had a smile – such a kind heart…he will be missed by all…❤️ “ — Yosemite Gateway Art Center

A celebration of life gathering is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at Chris Sorensen Art Studio, 2205 S. Van Ness Ave., Fresno.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @sorensensfresno

Art Was His Second Career

According to a 2015 Fresno Bee article, Mr. Sorensen grew up in Mendota before he moved to Fresno, where he graduated from Fresno High School in 1944. He used to joke that he had slept with famed aviator Amelia Earhart — he was 5 when she was passing through Mendota and his parents put her up for the night in his bed, alongside him.

Sorensen used to joke that he had slept with famed aviator Amelia Earhart — he was 5 when she was passing through Mendota and his parents put her up for the night in his bed, alongside him.

The Bee reported that Mr. Sorensen joined the Navy during World War II and then returned to Mendota to work in the family’s machine works business. He moved to Fresno in 1955 and started Weco, a welding supply business, in 1963. He and his wife Mitzi had two children, John and Vicki.

His career as an artist began almost inadvertently when his son took art classes at McLane High School and asked Sorensen for help with welding. From there, the elder Sorensen began taking art classes himself.

In a 2014 interview with Zócalo Public Square, Mr. Sorensen talked about being his most creative at 4 in the morning. What did he like best about Fresno: the people and the heat.

As for the best gift he’d ever been given: “Life. You know what I want for Christmas? Another one.”

A Chris Sorensen metal sculpture at Ashford Advertising, 1528 N. Sierra Vista Ave,. in Fresno. (GV Wire/Paul Marshall)

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

US Officials Arrest Milwaukee Judge for Obstructing Immigration Operation

DON'T MISS

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

DON'T MISS

China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs

DON'T MISS

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

DON'T MISS

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

DON'T MISS

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

DON'T MISS

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

DON'T MISS

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

UP NEXT

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

UP NEXT

Beware of Scammers Saying You Won the Publishers Clearing House Drawing

UP NEXT

Lights, Camera, Board Vote: Fresno Unified’s Carefully Choreographed Production

UP NEXT

Candi Is the Dandy to Add a Little Sweetness to Your Life

UP NEXT

Don’t Miss Out! Tower District’s Porchfest Festival Is Saturday

UP NEXT

Fresno Stabbing Leaves Son Dead, Father Charged With Murder

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Jonathan Scott Riester

UP NEXT

18-Year-Old Dies After Shooting Outside Clovis Restaurant

UP NEXT

Five Arrested in Fresno County Robbery Spree. Some Linked to Venezuelan Gang

UP NEXT

Artfully Staged for Takeoff: Fresno Airport Expansion Nears Finish

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

1 hour ago

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

2 hours ago

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

2 hours ago

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

2 hours ago

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

2 hours ago

Fresno Man Tased, Arrested After Suspected Reckless DUI in Kerman

2 hours ago

Madera Vehicle Burglary Leads to Arrests, Gang Charges for Juveniles

2 hours ago

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

3 hours ago

US Universities Help Foreign Students Weather Trump Deportations

3 hours ago

Alphabet Says Waymo May Offer Robotaxis for Personal Ownership in Future

3 hours ago

US Officials Arrest Milwaukee Judge for Obstructing Immigration Operation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. officials arrested a Wisconsin judge on Friday and charged her with helping a man evade immigration author...

18 minutes ago

Hannah Dugan speaks as she was seeking election to Milwaukee County Circuit Court during a forum at the Milwaukee Bar Association in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., March 15, 2016. Mike De Sisti / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images via (REUTERS/File Photo)
18 minutes ago

US Officials Arrest Milwaukee Judge for Obstructing Immigration Operation

A Lockheed Martin Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptor is seen during the third annual "Made in America Product Showcase" on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 15, 2019. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo)
1 hour ago

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

A general view shows container terminal in Hong Kong, China, April 23, 2025. (REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo)
1 hour ago

China Exempts Some Goods From US Tariffs

Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth Group chief executive Brian Thompson, appears in Manhattan Supreme Court on New York state murder and terrorism charges in New York City, U.S., February 21, 2025. (Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)
1 hour ago

Luigi Mangione Due in Court for Arraignment as Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) throws a pass against Central Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP File)
2 hours ago

Shedeur Sanders Snubbed in NFL Draft’s Round 1 but Leads List of Top Available Players for Day 2

2 hours ago

Chargers Choose North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in Effort to Boost Offense

2 hours ago

49ers Draft Georgia Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With the No. 11 Pick in the NFL Draft

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP File)
2 hours ago

Trump’s Immigration Approval Ratings Decline as Enforcement Tactics Lose Support

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend