Jerry was a long-time member of DVAS, joining in the late 1990’s. Once retired, Jerry became president of DVAS and ran sculpture workshops. He excelled in all mediums but concentrated primarily on his sculpture endeavours and painting. Art was his passion.

Jerry immigrated from Russia as a young child with his parents and siblings, settling in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. He loved football, supporting 3 teams: North Melbourne, South Melbourne and Carlton (improving his chances of getting a smile from at least one team a week). He married in the 1960’s and was the Dad of 2 children. In the late 1970’s he purchased a wildlife park in Cairns, eventually coming back to Melbourne. He often travelled to the outback or bush with fellow artists to continue his passion for art. He just loved art and nature. Winning scholarships and awards, Jerry attended both RMIT and Melbourne University to develop and hone his skills in fine art. He worked in the advertising field as a creative art director and also for well-known agencies as a freelance artist, eventually establishing his own successful advertising agency Fine Art Studio Servicers.

Around 2011, renowned jewellery sculptor and longtime friend Matchum Skipper invited Jerry to assist with a sculpture commissioned by the Eltham Cemetery Trust to mark the Cemetery’s 150th anniversary. Positioned along the fence-lined border between Monsalvat and the cemetery, the nine-foot bronze sculpture, Young Man Awakening, overlooks the surrounding hills. The work expresses a sense of awakening to life, depicting a rare and endangered Eltham Copper Butterfly as it gently lands on the hand of a young man.

Jerry passed in 2026. His contribution to DVAS will never be forgotten, and he will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of sharing in his creative journey.