Charles H. Reinike III

Charles H. Reinike III is a painter, sculptor and gallery owner. He was born in New Orleans in 1947 to Charles and Vera Reinike, both of whom were artists.  He has worked as an artist since 1970 and always uses "III" at the end of his name to distinguish himself professionally from his father.

Reinike attended St. John's College in Santa Fe, NM and LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. He received his degree in Philosophy with concentrations in Ancient Greek Language and Fine Art. He worked as a sculptor's assistant in the Art Department at LSU under Armin Scheler, a demanding and respected professor who encouraged him to pursue his love of sculpture. Reinike continued his art studies but he opted for a degree in Philosophy, believing that art requires thought as well as technique.

Upon graduation, he began to work with his father on large commissioned works, at first as an apprentice and later as a partner. In 1971, Reinike and his wife, Edna, assumed the ownership of the gallery that his parents had founded in 1930. They expanded its scope, and in 1988, they relocated the gallery to Atlanta, where it remains.

Over the years, Reinike produced paintings, murals, functional art and sculpture for public spaces and private homes. He restored a number of important works in historic buildings in New Orleans, where he once lived. The large scale of murals and the understanding of historic elements directly influenced his choice of subjects in his current work and the techniques he uses today.         

In recent years, Reinike has declined most commissions and has concentrated instead on his paintings and his pewter creations. He works daily in his Atlanta studio.