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World Leaders
National Sculpture Society (NSS) presents
"World Leaders" an exhibition of original sculptural portraits
in the Americas Tower Exhibition Lobby. Americas Tower is located on the
Avenue of the Americas between 45th and 46th Streets, in midtown Manhattan.
(left: Mark and George Lundeen, Astronaut - Portrait of Jack Swigert,
22 x 10 x 10 inches, commissioned by the State of Colorado for Statuary
Hall, Captol Building, Washington, DC)
Twenty-eight works by twenty-three sculptors are included in this national, juried exhibition. Each portrait depicts an internationally recognized 20th century leader. Subjects include statesmen, humanitarians, scientists, presidents, scholars, athletes, writers, warriors, and artists, from a variety of cultures and countries.
Sculptural portraits are often commissioned to honor a
person, or to commemorate the 
significant achievements of an individual. This exhibition
includes portraits from life, as well as historical portraits based on research
and existing materials. For example, Marc Mellon's portrait bust of past
President Bush or Amanullah Haiderzad's portrait of the poet Bahar Sayed
were created with the actual subject as model. Neil Estern's historical
portraits of Franklin D. Roosevelt, on the other hand, were based on photographs,
news clippings, and descriptions of the subject. There are also some examples
of different interpretations of the same subject, as with the portraits
of Martin Luther King, Jr. by sculptors Richard Blake and Carter Jones.
(right: Neil Estern, Marquette for FDR Memorial, Washington, DC,
patinated hydrocal)
Other
sculptors represented in the show are: Michael Alfano, Daniel Altshuler,
Art Blevins, Marsha Brook, Yossi Daboosh, Zenos Frudakis, Lade Goudjabidze,
Muriel S. Kaplan, Mice Kaufman, Tuck Langland, Nick Lilliard, Lloyd Lillie,
Mark and George Lundeen (who collaborated on a piece), Lawrence Noble, David
Orjonikidze, Boris Spivak, and Blanche Van Dusen. (left: Art Blevins,
Nelson Mandela, terra cotta, 20 x 12 x 9 inches, photo by David Wharton,
Ft. Worth, TX)
The primary purpose of the National Sculpture Society is
to further the evolving tradition of figurative sculpture in America, to
which end its programs are directed. The lobby of Americas Tower is a permanent
showcase for year-round revolving exhibitions by the National Sculpture
Society that are made possible by 
the corporate arts partnership between National Sculpture
Society and KG A&A Corporation, a subsidiary of Kumagai Gumi Co., Ltd.,
owner of Americas Tower. The Americas Tower Lobby provides New York City
with a public exhibition space and cultural asset that enhances the city's
position as the world's foremost contemporary art center. (left:
Blanche Van Dusen, His Holiness the Dali Lama, Ed #2/2, 22 x 12 x
14 inches, bronze)
"World Leaders" is open to the public free of charge Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The exhibition runs through October 20, 2000.
rev. 8/6/03
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rev. 11/20/10
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