Skip to main content

Adventures in New York, Part One

Image
By
This past weekend we had the privilege of attending the National Sculpture Society Sculpture Celebration Conference. The highlight of the event for Michael was the awards dinner Saturday night, as he received the Alex J. Ettl Grant and was honored for the caliber of his body of work as a sculptor. Each day we were there we met new people, from artists to business gurus. The bond was that everyone there had a love and passion for sculpture.

View from Trump Tower
The first day - Thursday - we attended the opening reception in Trump Tower, where Michael was able to reconnect with friends as well as meet people he'd been communicating with through email. The view from the flat was breathtaking, and the art collection was awe-inspiring. It's always refreshing to meet people with the same passions as you. I took the initiative to step out of my comfort zone for this event, and went up to a couple we had been introduced to earlier and asked them where they were from. We were instantly caught up in a conversation and couldn't seem to stop talking for the rest of the night.

Empire State Building, 80th Floor
The next morning we decided to fit in breakfast and a trip to the Empire State Building before the conference, which didn't start until 11. We found a great cafe down the street that I can't remember the name of, but they had deliciously warm steel-cut oats and whole-grain bagels. Our brisk one-and-a-half mile walk brought us to the Empire State Building, where we thoroughly enjoyed the views, the history, and the architecture. This was the one thing I wanted to do while we were in New York, since I'd never been there before.

Portrait Sculpture Competition
At 11 we met with more conference-goers in the Park Central Ballroom, which was set up for a 4-hour portrait sculpting competition as well as a vendor/booth venue. Ten people had been selected to participate in the competition, which had evolved since the time Michael participated three years ago from a 20-hour, 5-day task to a 4-hour, 1-day grueling heat. The competitors were between the ages of 18 and 35, and they were all amazing! As someone who can't draw to save her life, I appreciate both the talent and hard-work it takes to do something as well as these people did.

Tension at the Competition!
While Michael spent most of his time circling the competitors and talking about how much fun it would be to get back in there, I spent some time watching, some time reading, and some time eating and drinking. The last hour was definitely the most entertaining. You could cut the tension with a knife. The sculptors were focused and intent. When the moderator counted down and they each had to step away from their tools, there was a moment, I swear, when nobody took a breath.

The Courtyard at The Met
After the competition, we took time to catch up with one of Mike's friends. We had a nice dinner, but time got away from us and we missed the "Blessing of Animals" exhibit at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Instead, we ran like crazy people through the rain to make it to the Met before they closed. We barely made it, having hailed a bike-taxi in Central Park to get us the rest of the way there. Because we didn't feel we had enough time to observe that night, we decided to put it in our schedule to go back again Sunday morning. On the way home, it rained.

Diana, by Augustus Saint-Gaudens; Courtyard
A muggy, hot day in Manhattan, but a thoroughly enjoyable one.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Focus: Immortality

By
Several years ago Mike created Outside the Circle, which you can read about on a previous blog. Around the same time, he created this statue: Immortality Part of the story is mine. Shortly before Mike created this piece, I had my first miscarriage. What they say is true: you never understand how difficult it is until you go through one yourself. I remember talking to Mike about the sacrifices that so many women make. We give up our bodies for years at a time. Our bodies sometimes fail us. Our minds suffer when things don't go as planned. Emotions are high, and so are the stakes. This statue, aptly named "Immortality," is the embodiment of those sacrifices. Not only do women bear children, but we don't bear children. We adopt and we foster care, and we babysit our nieces and nephews. We lose sleep. We toss and turn. We worry. We lose our marbles. Sometimes, women can look down at themselves and see only stretchmarks. We a wreck of the person we used to
Post a Comment
Read more

Now: Up at the Springville Museum of Art

By
It's finished! Isn't it always nice when you can say something like that? With all the work that went into this relief, Mike is ready for vacation. Even the casting process put him through a physical and emotional ride. The work that goes into creating something, from concept to finished product, is amazingly strenuous and impressive. When I try the process myself I tend to give up, so I have a tremendous respect for artists in general. Last night we went to the opening of the Fall Show at the Springville Museum of Art. There were a LOT of people there. I think they ran out of cups for water. But it was a nice evening, with beautiful art, and great people. Mike has received continuous awards in this show for the last...seven years? Eight, maybe? This is how you know that he works hard and puts a lot of himself into his pieces. Not only is he good, but he uses his talents and knowledge for good. He creates pieces that convey messages about important qualities and eleme
Post a Comment
Read more

Now: Time for Wax

By
Though my post is a little late, cut me some slack. It's raining and gorgeous outside, and we've been enjoying it. Might sound crazy, but I am so glad this summer is over.  Tomorrow we head to Baer Bronze to check the metal. Before that, Mike had to go out there to check the wax:  Mostly, this blog is going to be in photos. Because the photos are awesome and speak for themselves. When I look at this wax, I'm not sure what the purpose is. Here's what I know: Mike's pieces are cast using the Lost Wax method, which means the piece is cast in wax first, remolded, and then when the bronze is poured the wax is burned away. Hence, the lost wax method.  This is an amazing shot. What I like about this broken wax piece is the detail you can see. This is pretty much what the bronze will look like. You know, minus the attachments on the bottom.  There are some of the pieces that had to be removed and cast separately. The wolf is one of my favorite figures from thi
Post a Comment
Read more