National Sculpture Society is pleased to present The Pandemic: A Sculptor’s View. The online exhibition features the work of 20 Elected Members and Fellows of National Sculpture Society. Artists were asked to submit work that explored the pandemic and interpret the many feelings associated with the year-long quarantine. Some artists portrayed the existential sadness and loss; others depicted the all-too-familiar epidemic iconography; some sculptors created portraits of hope and courage; and some imagined the joyous liberation after the long isolation. Many of the sculptors used the time to explore new directions in their style and practices. The result is a stunning show which encapsulates this unprecedented time and showcases the talents of the highest-ranking members of the figurative sculpture organization.

NSS Fellow Lawrence Noble submitted Mercana, his harbinger of better days. “My Mercana is a North American Goddess of Compromise, Evolution, and Re-Creation. When she comes into your life, things change. Her presence fosters and encourages our ability to adapt to changing circumstances to better serve each other, and our World. In a post COVID-19 world, she will be needed.”

Canadian artist and NSS Elected Member, Chippie Kennedy, sculpted winged aerialists in mid-flight titled Cirque Un, Deux, Trois. “The things dreams are made of – the desire to fly, weightless, airborne, escape…The full expression of the grace and elegance of the human form and its ability to reach new heights. In this time of the Coronavirus Pandemic our isolation leads one to dream of unimaginable abilities. This series is my expression of joyous freedom for days to come.”

Confined to her studio during the pandemic, NSS Fellow Janice Mauro utilized the excess time by trying new approaches to her work, creating a series of COVID memorial carvings. “Because time has become a luxury, my creative ideas have developed into much deeper and more meaningful work. The plaster mold for the maquettes was the clue, using them instead of the casts for my model. The intaglio carving in the wood appears to be three dimensional, suggesting the fragility of life. How simple and fitting , I wonder if l would have been so thoughtful under normal circumstances.”

Sculptors featured in The Pandemic: A Sculptor’s View include Jeff Birchill, Jeffrey Briggs, Lindley Briggs, Mary Buckman, Steve Carpenter, Kevin Chambers, Don Gale, Dimitry Gerrman, Lee Hutt, Chippie Kennedy, Simon Kogan, Jim Licaretz, Gwen Marcus, Janice Mauro, Lawrence Noble, Louis Quaintance, Ed Smida, Suzanne Storer, LeRoy Transfield, and Wesley Wofford.

Sculptors nominated by the NSS Board are elected by a two-thirds majority of voting members become NSS Sculptor Members. A Sculptor Member becomes a Fellow upon the nomination by the Board and the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Fellows and Directors of the Society. Fellows (FNSS), Elected Sculptor Members (NSS), and Associates make up the three levels of membership of the organization.

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. 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. National Sculpture Society is dedicated to promoting excellence in sculpture that is inspired by nature.