, ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁– ▁December ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 7 ) ▁was ▁an ▁American ▁painter ▁and ▁sculpt or ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁avant - gar de ▁bronze ▁f ount ain ▁designs . ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Seattle , ▁Washington , ▁he ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁both ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Japan . ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Washington , ▁where , ▁after ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁Two , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁teacher . ▁He ▁rose ▁to ▁international ▁prom in ence ▁as ▁a ▁f ount ain ▁designer ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁During ▁his ▁long ▁career ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 ▁of ▁his ▁distinct ive ▁f ount ains ▁- ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁still ▁ext ant ▁- ▁were ▁placed ▁in ▁public ▁spaces . ▁ ▁Ts ut ak awa ▁is ▁often ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁progress ive ▁' N orth west ▁School ' ▁of ▁artists , ▁and ▁is ▁among ▁the ▁major , ▁influ ential ▁figures ▁of ▁modern ▁Asian - American ▁art . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁ ▁George ▁Ts ut ak awa ▁was ▁born ▁February ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁in ▁Seattle , ▁Washington . ▁He ▁was ▁named ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁George ▁Washington ▁( wh ose ▁birth day ▁is ▁Feb . ▁ 2 2 nd ). ▁His ▁parents , ▁Sho zo ▁and ▁His a , ▁were ▁both ▁born ▁in ▁Japan . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁fourth ▁of ▁nine ▁children , ▁all