Title: Designer and Sculptor
Company: Everhart Design
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
Don Nelson Everhart II, designer and sculptor at Everhart Design, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Artists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in medallic design and sculpture.
Operating in the world of mint sculpting for 50 years, Mr. Everhart has established himself as a leading artist in the field. This career started as a twist of fate, however. Mr. Everhart’s first goal was to design album covers for bands in New York. He decided to skip school on a whim one day and visit Philadelphia’s South Street, a neighborhood renowned for its art galleries, where he passed along his student portfolio to a gallery owner. That owner informed him of a job opening at The Franklin Mint.
Inspired to follow this serendipitous direction, Mr. Everhart accepted a job at The Franklin Mint creating mechanicals, an element used in print production. He soon discovered a fascination with the work of sculptors there. After completing several tryouts, Mr. Everhart was hired as a sculptor at The Franklin Mint in 1975. He spent the next five years designing and sculpting 50 to 60 coins annually before transitioning to work as a freelance sculptor for nearly 25 years.
As a freelance sculptor, Mr. Everhart continued creating coins but also expanded his work to include other examples of three-dimensional artwork. Among other noteworthy creations, he worked on multiple life-size sculptures, a range of projects for Disney and various toy companies, and a bronze installation of 24 plaques for Georgetown University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
From 2004 to 2017, Mr. Everhart joined the United States Mint as a sculptor and engraver. Growing in responsibility throughout this time, he effectively served as the institution’s chief engraver by the end of his 13 years there. Though he retired from full-time work in 2017, Mr. Everhart does not consider himself fully retired. He continues to partner with the United States Mint through its Artistic Infusion Program, designing coins throughout the year, while also taking on new opportunities through his agent.
Although his professional history is full of many memorable moments, Mr. Everhart is especially proud of having made Presidential Medals for two presidents: George Bush and Barack Obama. With the latter, created for Mr. Obama’s second term as president, he designed both sides of the medal. Mr. Everhart also crafted a Congressional Medal that was presented to the Dalai Lama, whom he had the opportunity to meet. Throughout his career, he designed approximately 30 Congressional Medals, as well as working on coins for several foreign countries, including the Marshall Islands and the United Kingdom.
Before venturing onto his vocational path, Mr. Everhart learned essential skills in school. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting at the Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, formerly Kutztown State College, in 1972. Demonstrating his esteem in the field, Mr. Everhart served as the president of the American Medallic Sculpture Association for several years in the 1990s. He also contributed as a sculptor at the Chester County Art Association and a fellow at the National Sculpture Society, among other professional affiliations.
In addition to his career, Mr. Everhart is a loving father to two children, Cristina and Derreck. When he’s not working on new medallic sculptures, he enjoys cycling. Even at the age of 76, Mr. Everhart still finds great satisfaction in design and plans to continue taking on regular work on a freelance and contract basis. Two new coins designed by him are set for release in late 2025: a quarter featuring Althea Gibson, a groundbreaking African American tennis player, and a dollar coin featuring Norman Borlaug, a major figure in American agricultural development.
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