Ted Xaras

Ted Xaras has had a passion for art from early childhood, initially receiving instruction from his father, and later attending the Philadelphia College of Art, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1967.  Following military service, Xaras earned his MFA in painting at Tyler School of Art in 1972.

Xaras has over 30 years of teaching experience as professor and Chair of Fine Arts at Ursinus College, where he taught painting, drawing, printmaking and art history from 1973 until his retirement in 2007. Since then, he has taught a variety of studio classes, including portrait painting, and has presented art history lectures at PAFA.
 
He has done numerous public and private commissions. His work includes a cover for Time magazine, two historical paintings for Merck & Co., and portraits for Ursinus College, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Beasley Law Firm and recently for the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
 
Xaras is a member of the Portrait Society of America and lives with his wife, Judy (also an artist), in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. He teaches Portrait Painting, Figure Painting, Portrait in Pastels and Methods of the Masters in the Continuing Education program.