Part of NSS’ Sculpture Celebration Conference. The Competition will take place in 2020. Each selected competitor will receive a Participation Scholarship.

Objective: To successfully model a bust from life (from the neck up), working from a live model. Modeling will be done in front of an audience (sculptors, patrons, and others who are attending the Sculpture Celebration Conference).

Eligibility: Sculptors must have been born between 1984-1999. All applicants must be citizens of or residents in the United States with a social security number.

The first prize winner may not compete the following year, but is welcome to apply again thereafter.

Schedule:

4 hours of modeling and a break for lunch.

Deadline: 

Selection: Up to 10 sculptors will be selected to compete.

Supplies: Modeling clay, modeling stands, spray bottles and materials to build armatures are supplied. However, competitors must supply personal sculpture tools.

Expenses: Each selected competitor will receive a Participation Scholarship. Participation Scholarships include:

• • Three night hotel stay

• • $150 stipend

• • Registration fee for the Sculpture Celebration Conference

• Each competitor is responsible for travel, his/her own meals and daily expenses.

Submission Materials:

1. Images of six to twelve works of sculpture (up to twenty-four images total). Images should be in JPEG (.jpg) format. The longest side of the image should be at least 1500 pixels long.

2. A list stating the title, medium and dimensions of the sculpture in PDF (.pdf) or Word (.docx) format.

3. A biography or resume in PDF (.pdf) or Word (.docx) format.

To submit: 

Applications can be shared with the NSS office through file sharing programs such as Dropbox, Google Docs, sendthisfile, Hightail, WeTransfer, etc… Be sure to state ‘RMM Competition’ in the subject line or body of the email.

Jury of Selection: The jury will consist of three sculptors.

Awards Jury: Jurors will be looking for originality and talent, inspiration and personal interpretation – not just proficiency in replicating the model.

Awards:

Richard McDermott Miller Prize of $5,695, consisting of a $3,000 cash award, a half-page ad in Fine Art Connoisseur (value: $2,150) and a quarter-page ad in Sculpture Review (value: $545)

Roger T. Williams Prize of $1,500

Walter & Michael Lantz Prize of $750

Each competitor will also receive a set of tools, courtesy of Sculpture House.

Richard McDermott Miller (1922-2004), known as the Figure Sculptor of Soho, served as president of National Sculpture Society from 1997-2000.  He supported the Society throughout his life, and in death, he continues to do so.  The sale of his Soho studio, which he left to the Society, tripled NSS’ endowment, providing the Society with a stable financial footing.  His generosity allows the Society to promote excellence in sculpture that is inspired by the natural world.