Early Life and Artistic Training Born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1928, Ralph Arnold began his path through the world of art with a brief period of study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His academic pursuits were interrupted by the call of duty when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in Korea from 1950 to 1952, a time that would eventually shape the perspective of the man who would become a significant figure in the Chicago art scene. Upon his return to Chicago, his life took a turn toward the creative through a chance meeting with a silversmith teacher at th…