Joe Mannino is an American ceramic sculptor and educator whose monumental works explore architecture, history and the political symbolism of public monuments. Born in Chicago, he earned his B.A. from Knox College and M.F.A. from Southern Illinois University. Working primarily in clay, but also incorporating metal, wood and photography, Mannino creates sculptural forms that reference classical architecture while questioning society's values and ambitions. He studied and taught at UC Davis, where he worked as a ceramics laboratory assistant in the university's iconic TB 9 studios. His sculpture Pink and Black (1980) remains part of the campus' public art collection. Mannino subsequently taught at several institutions before joining Carnegie Mellon University in 1986, where he taught for 35 years, retiring in 2021. His work includes Gasp (1990), a monumental outdoor sculpture in Pittsburgh addressing environmental concerns. His work is represented in collections including the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery.