University figurative sculpture professors - any recommendations?

[caras]

I am currently looking into MFA programs in North America and searching for a professor who knows how to render human form anatomically correct. This has turned into an extensive search - does anyone else out there have any suggestions?

[Stephen Casey]

I am sorry no one has responded yet. And I do not have an answer either.

But I have a small theory why some have chosen not to repond. Casting the whole human form is to many people that have considered it, too great a task. And I suspect the majority with the drive to not only attempt it but also, who have completed such education, AND completed such works have long since developed a strong sence of self confedence in the techniques they have developed in their application of the art. And since they are so involved and built so many new memories of these complex tasks that they may be in the habit of dissmissing the techniques of their early experience. Not out of dissrespect but out of feeling that those were old techniques.

[fritchie]

I am sorry no one has responded yet. And I do not have an answer either. ..deletions ..

But I have a small theory

I, like Stephen, apologize that no one has yet offered a specific reply, but for one, I don’t know of anyone to suggest. Some schools do emphasize the figure, done with high accuracy, but my own sculptural schooling was not at a degree-granting institution. I’m assuming that is what you want.

[RuBert]

Ok, how about University of Massachusetts - Dartmuth, I'm friends with professor Stacy Latt Savage who has a wonderful command of figurative work and contemporary sculpture. I've heard good things about the program, it is smaller, but focused.

[Stephen Casey]

There we go.

[caras]

Thanks for the responses - I actually haven't checked for a while so I appreciate the suggestion from RuBert. I will look into it. So far I have found one place that I am quite interested in. :)

[jwebb]

Well I don't have a suggestion, and though I do not myself do "realistic" figurative work except for an occasional portrait, I must say it seems pretty lame and at the same time pretty important, that we have collectively only come up with one name at one school in answer to this question. The "Education" links over on the ISC website don't seem to offer anything in this vein either, at least at the graduate level. I'd love to recommend the man who taught at Portland State University when I was there in the 1970's - but he retired and died. The guy who replaced him also retired. Those who came after, I'm sure, teach the figure as a matter of course (they surely have "courses" on it), But not in the way I hear the questioner asking for it. There are people I could recommend in Drawing or Painting, but I'm stumped. That's not surprising in itself, as I'm not very much in touch. But I'm very surprised that with all the "Figurative" spokespersons on these threads, there is not a list of names and programs offered up here. There are numerous sculptors on board who do the figure with great power and sensitivity, as well as accuracy. Don't any of them teach? This seems quite bizarre.

[rderr.com]

Dear Joe

I do teach at the Art League of Houston. I'm not sure that I can be consitered as a "figurative" or even "artist". And, as a self-taught I can offer only Mr. Moi Même. How-be-it all inquires will be entertained, I'm sure.

Art is provocative, always.
Bob

[fritchie]

I think jwebb is right that it is a telling and sad commentary on the state either of figurative education in the U. S., or of the membership of this forum that we collectively can come up with only one name.

Here in New Orleans, I am not aware of any university people who focus on the figure. My education came at a non-degree institution, New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary and which has a fine sculpture instructor who works mainly with the figure, but I understood that the question relates to a degree format, and this is a non-degree art school. One of the NOAFA “graduates” who finished about the same time as me, about 15 years ago, did a fairly comprehensive search and came up with several prospects for MFA study, but I don’t remember the schools, and things probably would have changed by now in any case.

I’m surprised the ISC site doesn’t provide more information, but ISC depends on voluntary responses from the schools.

[rickb]

keep in mind that I have never been to art school but...

Last year I was invited as a finalist to the National Figure Modeling Competition hosted by the National Sculpture Society. It was held at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. They seemed to have a very strong figurative sculpture program and an amazing set of plaster casts accessable to the students (see pic link) --- lots of Michaelangelo, Lacoon (sp?), Houdon I think...

At the recption, there was a viewing of the finalists works. I was very impressed by the art, models and artists from two schools -- Lyme Academy and one in NY -- I think NYU. Let me know if you want me to confirm this.

Best of luck with this.

Rick

http://www.richardbecker.com/LowResTour/images/HPIM0580_small.JPG

http://www.richardbecker.com/NSCphotos.htm

[Stephen Casey]

Richard, your winning entry is delightful. And speedy too. The adjustments though must of cost a fortune.

[caras]

Thanks Rick...I just looked up the Lyme Academy and there is someone I would like to study with - I have seen Don Gale's work before and he would be interesting. However, I will wait to hear if that is the best place to go because it sounds like they concentrate on a BFA type of degree and I definitely do not want to repeat the procedure!

[John Molloy III]

If you want an MFA with emphasis on figurative sculpture, try the New York Academy of Art in Manhatten. If you want to study under an accomplished figurative artist and a great teacher, contact Anthony Antonius at the School of the National Academy of Design on East 89th St, also in Manhatten. Antonius has been teaching at Lyme Academy of Fine Art in Old Lyme CT but is not there right now because he has a large commission. His students have been taken over by Don Gale. Lyme Academy only offers a BFA but will allow people to sign up for individual courses.

[jwebb]

Now we're cooking. Thank you, John, the New York Academy, with its Graduate Program in Figurative Art looks very strong. If I weren't such an old coot I'd check it out myself.

[fritchie]

I’ve delayed putting up the following web site because I haven’t visited it in quite a while, but here’s (http://www.sculptor.org/) another privately funded site something like this one supported and managed by Russ RuBert. This one is managed by Richard Collins of Falls Church, VA, and my earlier impression was that it is quite responsible and informative.

I think I corresponded with him briefly, shortly after he set it up about 3 - 5 years ago, and I found him very helpful. One of the first things he did was put up a web page for the National Sculpture Society, the oldest sculpture society in the U. S., and one which essentially is completely devoted to figurative sculpture. They have their own separate site now, I think, but I don’t have time to check at the moment.

This site doesn’t have a discussion forum, but lists about 60 universities, colleges and art schools with sculpture programs under the heading “Education - Colleges and Universities”. You might look into some of these listings.

[John Molloy III]

The web site for the National Sculpture Society is www.nationalsculpture.org. They publish a quarterly magazine that you can view at www.SculptureReview.com. If you become a member, you not only get the magazine but a smaller publication sent on a regular basis which lists what is currently happening; i.e. competetions, courses, employment, etc. If you want to see figurative sculpture by American masters goto www.brookgreen.org. Brookgreen Gardens has the largest collection of American Sculpture in the world.

[Stephen Casey]

Thank you John for posting these most useful links. I will be absorbing what I can from them in the near future.

[fritchie]

The web site for the National Sculpture Society is www.nationalsculpture.org. They publish a quarterly magazine that you can view at www.SculptureReview.com. If you become a member, you not only get the magazine but a smaller publication sent on a regular basis which lists what is currently happening; i.e. competetions, courses, employment, etc. If you want to see figurative sculpture by American masters goto www.brookgreen.org. Brookgreen Gardens has the largest collection of American Sculpture in the world.

John - I'm glad you put up this link to Brookgreen Gardens. They have by far the best collection of figurative sculpture in the U. S. and probably outside of Western Europe. The site is near Myrtle Beach on the South Carolina coast, and it is an early rice plantation developed as a home for the C. P. (??) Huntington family about 1930 - 1940 (??). He was the son of the creator of the Southern Pacific RR line and one of four creators of the western link in the first transcontinental U. S. railroad. The wife was Anna Hyatt Huntington, a very accomplished figurative sculptor herself.

I included this as a special stop on an East Coast art tour about 20 years ago, and I enjoyed it immensely. I have 2 editions of their book on figurative sculpture.

[Alison]

Boston University has a program that seems to emphasize work along the more traditional figurative vein. It would be worth checking out. I know they are currently looking for a prof who focuses on figurative work. There is a cermaic sculptor-Doug Jeck-who I believe teaches at University of Portland (or something along those lines...maybe it's Seattle...check it out on the web) who does amazing figurative work , albeit in a non-traditional way. He used to teach at Alfred Universtiy in NY State. His work is wonderful, and he is incredible smart. Check it out.

[swilliamson]

It was this question that caused me to join this forum.
I teach sculpture in the traditional european manner concentrating on structure form and articulation with the human portrait as my vehicle.
I can set up courses & demonstrations for educational institutions wherever.
The new York Academy of art specialises in figurative sculpture and has some excellent tutors. I will be teaching there in the spring. Date to be announced.
Stuart Williamson
Sculptor & Teacher of Sculpture
My website is in progress but please have a look at
www.portraitsculpture-online.com

[mountshang]

What's really needed here is a some kind of a website that lists the teachers of figure sculpture -- because Google is not going to find them.

Why doesn't Sculpture.Net set up such a site ?

*let anyone who calls herself a sculpture teacher post her own entry --- including pictures of work -- and whatever institutional affiliation she has

*Then create a thumbnail for each -- and put them on a page that lists them all

*Don't charge anybody for listing -- but automatically send them an email every year -- and erase their page if they don't renew.

*Let their students put links to the teacher's page

I think all that's needed is some kind of low maintainance, automatic site.

[Merlion]

If this is a additional feature of sculpture.net/community which means this online forum, I think first we have to get them interested in it, in sufficient number. Can we attract them? From what I can observe, there are not too many art educators who contribute comments frequently here, or even from time to time.

Of course we know Iowasculptor. Who are the others? I think Iowasculptor already had an interest in this forum before he joined a university, and he stayed on here.

Perhaps this is more for sculpture.org which means ISC, the International Scupture Center.

[ajoysisk]

I'm with Mountshang on this...let me know what I could do to help birth something like that. I have taught fig. sculpture at my alma mater, created a program at an atelier, and am in Florence putting the finishing touches on what I want to know to further both my own work and my mentoring. It has always been difficult to search out a decent figurative sculptor to study with -this would be a superb resource!

[ajoysisk]

Merlion -

I think private ateliers and programs abroad need to be tapped; I have found few university programs in the USA (NY Academy, Penn. Academy of Fine Art) that cater to the aspiring figurative sculptor. There are many ceramic fig. artists at the university programs (UW Seattle, etc.), but beyond that, I have had scant luck.

[ajoysisk]

http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:NzTFDlmxTUUJ:www.uga.edu/news/artman/publish/060519_Strange.shtml+georgia+strange&hl=en&gl=it&ct=clnk&cd=6

This professor is directly, profoundly responsible for my becoming a sculptor. Some of the teaching awards mentioned in this article are those our students (I taught with Dr. Strange for a semester) and I nominated her for. She is an incredible person to study with -- she saved my artistic well-being at the end of my university years, introduced me to figurative sculpture, and never ceased to challenge and motivate me...if I hadn't crossed paths with her ---! Not certain if she is teaching fig. sculpture at her new school, but definitely worth investigation.

[artlovelife]

Hi caras
I would also recommend University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Stacy Latt Savage is a wonderful professor and they offer figure modeling and have a working foundry. you should check them out. I went there for undergraduate and there is a lot of emphasis given to the figure in classical terms. Good Luck.

artlovelife.

[Keropian]

I believe you limited yourself by bringing up MFA. Many University's only practice free form or abstraced art (i.e. U of P).

Here are three that I highly recommend:

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts:
Certificate, BFA and MFA Program.
Generally the Certificate artists works tend to be better, since all their time is generally spent working, training the eye and study of the figure. I know friends who took their BFA at night then applied for their Masters.

NY Academy: BFA MFA

Lyme Academy in Olde Lyme Connecticut: Now accredited and in the process of establishing a MFA program.

I can only vouch for these schools above for figurative art.

The sad thing is that there are very few, if any apprentiseships available as there was so long ago. I feel this is a tremendous loss to our society as a whole and the student who wishes to learn sculpture from the ground up. You can only learn so much from four years of school, and their should be programs set up with professional sculptors to further one's career.

Alex Hromych- Current PAFA Certificate instructor told me recently that less PAFA students are interested is learning to sculpt the figure, and would rather cast their work in bronze.

Good Luck to You!

Michael Keropian
http://www.keropiansculpture.com

[SculptNow]

It is truly sad that American artists once know for superior representational sculpture now is sourcing out sculpture for our national mall! This change took less than a hundred years!!

Raymond Persinger is still teaching at LCAD.

[GlennT]

It is truly sad that American artists once know for superior representational sculpture now is sourcing out sculpture for our national mall! This change took less than a hundred years!!

Raymond Persinger is still teaching at LCAD.

The act of one committee of ignoramuses or those who look to Asia for cheap labor does not a broad change make. Nor does it reflect any lack of superior representaional sculptors in America. It merely shows a lack of recognition and respect for our native talent by some folks, or a lack of perception regarding the difference between making do and commissioning exceptional works of art.