On May 16, 2026, ten competitors will model from life during the Richard McDermott Miller Competition.  They are:

Dasha Bough @dashabough

Samuel Davis @samdavis.sculpture

Zoe Dufour @saypience

Eddie Holecko @eddieholecko

Remington James @r00ft0p

Pema Kongpo @pemakingpin

Marina Melluzzo @marinamay_art

Darrel Raymundo @darrelraymundo_sculpt

Sorrell Stone @sorrelstoneceramics

Maia Williamson @maiawilliamsonart

The NSS Fellows Basil Watson, Michael Keropian and Nilda Comas selected the competitors earlier this year. The objective is to successfully model a bust from life (from the neck up), working from a live model. This year, the competition will take place at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, CT.

At the end of four hours, a Jury of Awards will distribute the following awards:

Richard McDermott Miller Prize of $8,000

Roger T. Williams Prize of $4,000

Charlotte Geffken Award of $2,000

An enormous THANK YOU to NSS past president Michel Langlais for generously underwriting a portion of the prizes.

The National Sculpture Society is pleased to have so many 2026 supporters:

Travel Scholarships for each competitor are funded by bequests from Charlotte Geffken and Roger T. Williams.

The competitors each receive a complimentary one-year Associate membership sponsored by the Robert J. Spring Endowment and Modern Art Foundry Foundation.

Bruner F. Barrie, on the closure of Sculpture House, donated several sculpting tool kits to the NSS to be distributed to each competitor.

The National Sculpture Society has hosted modeling competitions for young and emerging sculptors since the 20th century. The current format is named for Richard McDermott Miller (1922-2004), a gifted artist, inventor, college professor, and published writer. Miller served as the Society’s president from 1997-2000. With his passing, he left a generous bequest to the Society. Miller’s autobiography, Heading for New York: A Sculptor’s Journey, describes his life between his birth in Ohio and his fortieth year when he became a full-time sculptor in NYC. Each competitor will receive a copy of the book (also for sale here).