The National Sculpture Society is pleased to present Sacred Spirit. The exhibition features the work of 21 members of the Society and will be on view from June 10 – August 16, 2024 at the NSS Gallery in midtown Manhattan. The theme embraces the deeper soulful inner self of all beings. The exhibition includes a wide range of expression celebrating man and nature’s unique ability to communicate. Spiritual or Religious, Deities or Muses; sculpture that deals with a belief system or tries to make sense of the metaphysical world. The sculptures on display represent the different styles, backgrounds, and disciplines of NSS members. Fellows (FNSS), Elected Members (NSS), and Associates comprise the levels of membership of the organization which is international in scope and appeal. National Sculpture Society is a not-for-profit organization which supports excellence in sculpture through various educational programs including scholarships and grants for emerging artists.

The Jury of Selection plays an important part in shaping and balancing an exhibition and each jury is comprised of two sculptors and one curator. For the Sacred Spirit exhibition, the Jury of Selection included Mark Edward Adams, FNSS; Emily Bedard, FNSS; and Herbert R. Broderick FSA, Professor, Department of Art, Lehman College/CUNY.

Artists in the show are John Belardo, FNSS; Lindley Briggs, NSS; Steven A. Carpenter, NSS; Caroline Curtin; Josie Campbell Dellenbaugh; Morgan Dummitt, NSS; Tom Durham, FNSS; Sandy Graves; Barry Johnston, FNSS; Madeleine Lord; Richard MacDonald, FNSS; Glenn Marlowe, NSS; Janice Mauro, FNSS; Sonja Metzler; Colin Poole, NSS; Kristine Poole, NSS; Mary Curtis Ratcliff; Sherry Rossini; Rik Sargent; Lori Shorin, NSS; and Karen Swenholt.

Long Island artist, Lori Shorin says the inspiration for her piece, Manna from Heaven, comes from several sources that have impacted her life. “This sculpture was inspired in part by seeing Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa, reading above her spiritual experiences, and images of yogis in deep samadhi. The mother figure is in a state of divine communion, receiving energy and light on a soul level. The baby is receiving nourishment from a mother, which is infused with both spiritual and physical energies. I’m attracted to those moments of contact that reveals an inner connection, a silent moment. Sculpting the human form makes me feel more in tune with my own humanity.”

“In my sculpture, Gods Among Mortals, mortals are shown mingling with Olympian gods and goddesses,” says NSS Elected Member, Lindley Briggs. “The figures are depicted as fragmentary forms which add a touch of the surreal and demonstrate my belief that fragments of forms can have as much impact as their entirety, sometimes even more. Both the fragmentary froms and patina evoke a sense of antiquity. The piece alludes to the possibility that there may indeed be spiritual beings among us in whatever form we choose to believe.”

For sculptor Madeleine Lord, the impetus for her welded found steel piece, Monk, began fifty years ago but wasn’t realized in sculptural form until very recently.  “Monk arrived in 2024, composed of the last of my metal scraps curated over the years, and emerging from a consciousness that we need to be deeply mindful of each other. I visited Nepal and several monasteries in 1973, and the composure of monks as they observed and prayed and did simple things like sweep  the terrace, has stayed with me. I imagine them to be the humans who care about all of us equally. And their spiritual dedication is not about finding themselves but finding all of us.”

National Sculpture Society was founded in New York City in 1893 by a group of America’s most prominent sculptors. Its members have created much of this country’s public sculpture, coins, and medals since the late 1800s. It is the oldest organization of professional sculptors in the United States and has been hosting exhibitions for over a century. Fellows (FNSS), Elected Members (NSS), and Associates designate the types of sculptor membership in the organization, which is international in scope and appeal. National Sculpture Society is dedicated to promoting excellence in sculpture that is inspired by nature.