2025 Simpson Art Center Programming
at the Simpson Art Center
January 15 & 16: Pathways to Possibilities, Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Career Day for Horry County 8th graders
2025 Wallace Master Sculptor Program Workshops
February 10 – 14, Animals in Bas-Relief with Rod Zullo, FNSS, $650 plus materials fee.
Students will learn to model an animal bas-relief in clay, then will make a mold and will cast it in a resin material. Coloring or patination techniques will also be taught.
Rod Zullo was born in 1965 in Bucks County, PA. When he was five, his grandmother, a painter, encouraged his parents to send him to private art lessons with a well-known Bucks County impressionist. A consummate student of art, he continually searches for his own truth and language. For 20 years, Rod travelled throughout the world as a fisherman guide, from blue marlin to brook trout. He also wrote magazine articles for leading sporting publications. His travel abroad exposed him to a variety of art styles, mediums, and messages. By studying past and present masters, he has explored sculpture as a metaphor of the human condition. With the guidance and mentoring of sculptor Floyd T. DeWitt, Rod has learned to see beyond the literal and narrative to create work that is contemplative and expressive yet conscious of traditional fundamentals. His goal is to see the abstract forms in nature and express this in sculpture by marrying the components of discipline and creativity to express a concept rather than an image. He is a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society.
March 10 - 14, Sculptural Masks, from Reference and Imagination with Evan Morse, $650 plus materials fee.
Sculpting a mask, or the front of a face, is a great way to explore high relief. Whether the face is human, animal, or mythical creature, participants will begin by working from a reference. Arrive with photos, drawings or a physical model or be inspired by the sculpture onsite. How you alter, embellish or decorate your mask is up to you. We will work in water-based clay for three days before casting each piece in plaster using waste-molds. The final day will allow for clean-up and patina of your plaster mask. Note: These masks will be designed to hang on a wall, not to wear on your face!
Evan Morse earned an MFA in sculpture from Boston University and a BA from Wheaton College, MA. He also enrolled in schools in Italy, studying the traditional sculpture techniques of clay-modeling, plaster-casting, and stone-carving in Carrara and Florence. He is an accomplished stone carver, with completed commissions for the New York State Capitol building, Iowa State University, Harvard University, and several marble monuments for the city of Rutland, Vermont. His studio work has been recognized with two grants from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, a 2017 fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and a 2021 St. Botolph Club Foundation Emerging Artist Award. He is a two-time recipient of the Dexter Jones Award, presented by The National Sculpture Society for an ‘outstanding work of sculpture in bas-relief.’ Morse is honored to have sculpted the 2024 medal in the Brookgreen Gardens medal series.
March 24 – 28, Walking Stick as Sculpture, with Martin Gates, FNSS. $650 plus material fees.
Adding sculptural elements to a walking stick is a great way to incorporate art into your daily life or someone else’s. Students are asked to bring design ideas and any reference materials they might need. Flora, fauna, or figurative could all be adapted to a walking stick. Students will be provided a seasoned piece of a hardwood tree approximately 60" long x 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" from which they can create their masterpiece. Emphasis will be placed on using traditional hand tools with discussions on modern alternative methods. Tool selection, care, and maintaining a sharp edge will be covered, as well as finish options and applications.
Martin Gates was born in Lebanon, Oregon in 1955. It was here, at his grandparent’s cabin near Sisters, Oregon, that he made his first carving, an Indian head from a piece of juniper out of the firewood pile. With a claw hammer and a carpenter's chisel, a dream was born. His family moved south in the mid 60's and finally settled in Gainesville, Florida. He worked with his father in the family antique business. Through this exposure, he studied the finely carved furniture and decorative art of Europe by restoring and carving missing pieces. In 1976, he studied woodcarving with famed Appalachian wood carver Jack Hall at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. Never losing sight of his goal, he worked at his carving part time until 1979 when he apprenticed to wildlife artist Dan De Mendoza in Sanford, Florida. In 1987, Martin won his first major award at the Ward Foundation World Championships in Ocean City Maryland and began carving full time. His carving of a life size bald eagle pulling a bass from the water, titled "Wind, Wings and Water", was presented by the Corporate Conservation Council to the headquarters of The National Wildlife Federation to celebrate the removal of the eagle from the endangered species list. Martin's work ranges from a life-sized figure of Mary for the Catholic Church to small hummingbirds, sea turtles and various other wildlife. His carvings have a unique style of abstract shapes and forms and often capture motion with his use of line and mass. Martin now includes marble, alabaster, forged iron, and bronze as materials for his work. He has molded many of his carvings and offered them in limited edition bronze sculpture. Martin is a member of the Society of Animal Artists and a Fellow in the National Sculpture Society where he won the silver medal in 2023 at the National Sculpture Society Annual Awards Exhibition with his holly carving of an ivory-billed woodpecker
April 14 - 18, Birds in Sculpture, with Sandy Scott, FNSS. $650, plus materials fee.
The class begins with a discussion of bird anatomy, the principles of aerodynamics, and how to achieve the illusion of movement in sculptures of birds in flight. Students will learn how to construct an armature for blocking-in birds in flight. Sandy Scott will help students determine the difference between a sculpture that is technically adequate and one that has spirit and life. All aspects of modeling in oil-based clay will be explored and beginning students are welcome. Students will learn the importance of assembling strong, meaningful shapes and how eliminating unimportant details can create the bird’s essence. Students will work from photography, drawings, field guides, and videotapes of birds in flight. Above all, armature building, assembling references for a specific species, aerodynamics, anatomy, and creating art is the focus. Sandy has instructed bird sculpture for over 30 years and is recognized as one of America’s leading wildlife artists.
Sandy Scott is a Fellow with the National Sculpture Society. Sandy trained at the Kansas City Art Institute and worked in animation before turning her attention to etching in the 1970s and sculpture in the 1980s. An elected member of the National Sculpture Society, she has won awards from the National Academy of Design, Allied Artists of America, Pen and Brush Club, American Artists’ Professional League, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, and a Gold Medal for sculpture from the National Academy of Western Art. In 1998, the Gilcrease Museum honored Scott with a retrospective. Her work may be seen in numerous public installations and museums, including Brookgreen Gardens, and she was commissioned to sculpt an eagle for the Clinton Presidential Library. She participates in many annual juried exhibitions, including Prix de West, Autry, Northwest Rendezvous, Cheyenne Frontier Days Museum Show, and the National Wildlife Museum Fall Exhibition. A veteran instructor, Scott teaches at Scottsdale Artists School and Brookgreen Gardens, and is the subject of a book, Spirit of the Wild Things: The Art of Sandy Scott.
May 5 – 9; Wildlife Sculpture, with David Turner, FNSS, $650, plus materials fee.
If you have a passion for wildlife and want to express this in clay, then this class is for you. The workshop will touch on all aspects of creating wildlife sculpture in clay including subject research, anatomy, development of a pleasing design through the creation of maquettes, armature design, construction, and clay modeling techniques. Prior to the course, students should choose a specific animal or two that they would like to focus on and collect materials on these subjects. This is suitable for various levels of experience.
David H. Turner was born, raised, and currently resides on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He looked over his father’s shoulder growing up and thus he started sculpting when he was six years old. In 1983, he graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in biology and a minor in studio art. Turner and his father, William H. Turner, own and manage Turner Sculpture in Onley, Virginia, which has served as their studio, bronze foundry, and gallery since 1983. Turner strives to capture the essence of the wildlife he sculpts. Together with his father, Turner has created over 173 publicly commissioned sculptures for places such as the National Zoo (Washington, D.C.), Brookgreen Gardens (Myrtle Beach, SC), the Philadelphia Zoo, the Brookfield Zoo (Chicago, IL), Benson Park (Loveland, CO), and the Salisbury Zoo (Salisbury, MD). David has multiple pieces installed in Ocean City, MD as well as at Salisbury University and the Ward Museum.
May 19 - 23; Make Your Own Brookgreen Medal, with Heidi Wastweet, FNSS, $650, plus materials fee.
A single-sided art medal is a bite-size project that can be done in five days. On the first day, Heidi Wastweet will take students around the grounds to take their own reference photos. Then there will be two-and-a-half days of sculpting and a day-and a half of mold-making and plaster casting. For an additional fee of $100 to cover the cost of casting, patina, and shipping, she will send your piece to a foundry and ship to you a finished bronze medal. Those who don’t want a bronze can take home a plaster cast.
Heidi Wastweet is a leading American medalist and sculptor specializing in bas-relief bronzes. In conjunction with a wide variety of private mints she has produced over 1,000 coins, medals, tokens, and rare coin replicas since 1987. She was chief engraver for Sunshine Mint for 11 years and lead designer/sculptor for Global Mint for five years. In 2001, she opened her own studio, relocated from Idaho to Seattle in 2003, and then to the San Francisco Bay area in 2013. She serves as president of the American Medallic Sculpture Association and is former president and founder of Seattle Sculpture Guild as well as a member of the Federation Internationale de la Medaille. Her Work has been shown in Coin World and Coinage magazines and she exhibits her non-commissioned work with the National Sculpture Society in New York and the Bellevue Art Museum in Washington. She served two, four year terms on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee for the U.S. Mint in Washington, D.C. Medal and coin credits include a seven-coin set issued by the Sultanate of Darfur, Asian Hall of Fame Award Medal, the Dean’s Award for Seattle University School of Law, Alumnus Award Medal, the Dean’s Award for Seattle University School of Law, Alumnus Award for Stephen F. Austin University, Mayo Clinic Visiting Physicians Medal, Stanford University Alumni Medal, and Island Records Willie Nelson portrait. In addition to medallic art, she has also created public art including a commission for the University of Washington’s Medal of Honor Monument in Seattle and eight bronze relief panels for 12-foot-high church doors at St. Paul’s in Pensacola, Florida.
June 9 – 13, Human/Animal comparison workshop with Adam Matano. $650 plus model and material fees.
This 5-day intensive workshop explores the integration of human and animal forms in sculpture, focusing on anatomy, composition, and storytelling. Participants will learn how to combine these forms into dynamic, cohesive compositions. We will work from life through live model sessions, as well as from reference materials. Students will create maquettes to explore different compositional ideas and develop an understanding of human and animal anatomy, highlighting key similarities and differences. The workshop emphasizes the importance of maquettes in studying proportion, rhythm, and narrative flow. By the end, participants will have gained deeper insights into anatomy and practical techniques for creating expressive, multi-figure sculptures that integrate human and animal forms into balanced, emotionally impactful compositions.
Adam Matano is a contemporary representational artist specializing in sculpture. His work is an organically evolving process combining visceral reaction to life, his interest and admiration for the natural world and our relationship with it. The exploration of these ideas allows for psychologically dense, rhythmic artwork. Adam’s interest and involvement with nature and the arts began at a young age. Early in his career, he nurtured his musical interests, which now play an integral part in his overall aesthetic, its principles echoing in his sculptures. Most of Adam’s subjects are real life models that he has spent time with, through observation or interaction. Adam attained his BFA in sculpture at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Connecticut in 2010. Currently, Adam works and lives in Los Angeles, exhibiting his sculpture and teaching.
September 8 – 12, Intro to Mold Making for Sculpture Workshop with Janessa Portner and Heather Hanna. $650 plus material fees.
In this 5-day class Janessa and Heather will demystify the mold making processes, materials, and challenges. There are many ways to make a mold, and we will review the most common types and approaches to strengthen your understanding of terminology and techniques. Skill building exercises will be performed throughout the week with a range of different materials to help empower you to turn your clay sculpture projects into versatile silicone rubber molds and detailed resin and gypsum polymer reproductions.
We will also perform demonstrations of equipment and tools commonly used for mold making including vacuum degassing, pressure casting, and automated dispensing. Students will learn safe practices and create easy 1-part molds for relief and small sculpture (Models provided but molding your own is optional if meets 6-inch length by 6-inch width by 2-inch height maximum). Students will also: Design 2-part and multi-part molds with registration keys and channels to reduce flashing and improve the detail in your reproductions; Create rapid setting press-on silicone molds that can be used for texture stamps and clay casting; Learn how to create glue and wax sheet shims to close off passthroughs and reduce the potential of mold failure due to mechanical lock; Make a complete silicone brushed mold of a bust start to finish (with support shell). Note: Resin Models will be provided but molding your own sculpted model is optional if it adheres to these proportions and is made in sulfur-free oil-based clay. Also, please be prepared that revision of the model may be required before approval for molding and bring extra clay if needed. Additionally, when selecting an original model please consider that any clay model will likely be damaged or destroyed by the mold making process. Maximums: 12-inch height, 8-inch, 6-inch depth.
September 22 – 26, The Portrait in Relief Sculpture: A Course in Medallic Design and Process, with Eugene Daub, FNSS. $650 plus materials fee.
Learning the practice of relief sculpture applied to the portrait is the focus of this workshop. Students will learn how to cast their work in plaster and work into the negative mold. The positive effect of this method cannot be overstated. Students will work from a photo reference. The word, “medallic”, does not necessarily mean that the portrait will be cast in metal. It is used here as a term that connotes the format, process, or size. The workshop also covers how the finished plaster can be reduced to a smaller size and cast into different materials such as bronze, resin, and clay. We will discuss alternative ways of making medals. Patination will be covered and, if time allows, there will be a demonstration by the instructor.
Eugene Daub is a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society and of the American Numismatic Society and is vice president of the American Medallic Sculpture Association. Daub studied at the University of Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Alfred University in New York. His teaching experience is equally extensive, having taught at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture, and Rutgers University. Eugene Daub has created hundreds of portrait reliefs for public figures, mints, and an 18-foot relief for the Senate Chamber in the Montana Capitol Building. Nationally known for his work in the field of medallic art, he has received the highest national and international awards for excellence in figurative and bas-relief sculpture from the American Numismatic Society and the American Numismatic Association. In 2002, he received the Arthur Ross Award from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America for achievement in figurative sculpture. His works appear in numerous private and public collections, including the British Museum, the Smithsonian, and Brookgreen Gardens. His sculpture of Rosa Parks was unveiled in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol in 2013.
October 6 – 10, Plein Air Figure Sculpture with Kevin Chambers $650 + material and model fees
Students will utilize sculptures from the gardens at Brookgreen to create master studies onsite. Students will spend the morning of each workshop day outside creating a small-scale study of a sculpture of their choosing. The afternoon will be spent in the studio sculpting from a live model. This allows each student to study how the master sculptors have addressed such challenges as gesture, proportion, and anatomy. Then they will come into the studio and work on a 18-24” sculpture to apply these skills.
Kevin Chambers is an elected member of the National Sculpture Society. He received a BFA in Media Arts and Animation from the Art Institute of Atlanta, a program that allowed him the latitude to develop his own personal style while he apprenticed for talented artists. He studied the figure with contemporary masters such as Glenn Villpu, Brian Booth Craig, David Simon, and anatomical workshops with Andrew Cawrse.
October 20 - 24, Beginning Portrait Sculpting with Bryan Rapp. This class is also open to anyone interested in sculpting Halloween inspired busts. $325 plus material fees.
This is an introductory sculpting course designed for beginners who wish to learn how to build a sculptural bust from photo references but is open to all levels of experience. Because this is an October workshop, students interested in creature and monster making are also encouraged to participate and create a ghostly bust of their choice. Students will construct a head armature and learn how to proportion eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. We will also look at facial muscles and gestures to capture the uniqueness or spirit of an individual, and the importance of multiple reference materials.
Bryan Rapp is a sculptor and the Director of the Wallace Master Sculptor Program at Brookgreen Gardens. Rapp studied Computer Animation at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh (’03) and earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the University of Oklahoma (’16), where he studied under the mentorship of Paul Moore, FNSS. From 2004 to 2006, Bryan worked with sculptor Alan Cottrill in his studio and foundry, Coopermill Bronzeworks, in Zanesville, Ohio, as a mold and wax tech, assisting on numerous large commissions. From 2016 to 2019, Rapp was the first Artist-in-residence at Coastal Carolina University, teaching all processes in the ancient clay to bronze tradition known as “Lost Wax” casting while fabricating a 12’ tall bronze mascot for the university’s football stadium. Rapp has produced work for both private collectors and public commissions and has exhibited his work in several states.
Simpson Art Center additional programs:
Open Studio
Open Studios is a program that is open to the public once a month, from 10 am to Noon, and invites guests to spend time with a sculptor and observe the various processes employed to produce a sculpture from clay to bronze. Guests are encouraged to ask questions.
Open Studio dates - Wednesdays
1/8, 2/12, 3/5 with Artist in Residence Evan Morse, 4/9, 5/14, June TBD, 7/16, 8/13, 9/17, 10/15, 11/12.
Sip and Sculpt
Sit and observe a sculptor at work, ask questions or try your hand at clay with a glass of wine.
Select Saturdays, 3-5 pm.
May 31 | October 4
Conservation Talks in the Robin Salmon Conservation Lab at the Simpson Art Center
Dates to be determined.
3d Lab Demonstrations
Dates to be determined.
WORKSHOP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Registration and Payment
Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Students are asked to provide a complete mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address when pre-registering with Curatorial Associate Kay Filar at (800) 849-1931, x6034, or locally at (843) 235-6034. A registration deposit of $150 for adult workshops is required to complete the registration. Students will receive an emailed invoice indicating that two payments need to be made with credit card (AmEx, Visa, MasterCard, Discover) or check (payable to “Brookgreen Gardens”, sent to Brookgreen Gardens, ATTN: Sculpture Workshops, PO Box 3368, Pawleys Island, SC 29585). The first payment is the $150 registration deposit due upon receipt; the second, a final payment including remaining tuition and materials/models fees due on the last day of the workshop. A
place in a class is not reserved until this registration deposit is paid. A waiting list will be established once a class has filled. After attending one workshop, adult students may receive a 10% tuition discount for attendance in subsequent workshops during the same year.
Withdrawals, Cancellations and Refund Policies
Withdrawals from a workshop must be in writing and must be given at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the workshop. We prefer to apply the registration fee to a future workshop but, if this is not possible, it will be refunded. If a student withdraws during a workshop, a pro-rated tuition payment plus any fees for materials or models must be paid. The full registration fee ($150) will be kept if a student does not attend and does not provide written notice of withdrawal by the deadline. Students will receive a full refund if a workshop must be canceled by Brookgreen Gardens.
Levels of Skill
All workshops require students to have basic familiarity with the subject matter of the class, but most are suitable for beginners.
Supplies, Books and Additional Fees
A supply list of required materials will be sent approximately two weeks prior to the start of each workshop. Students may not bring their own clay to the workshop unless the instructor has specified it. If recommended, students are encouraged to obtain books prior to the workshop. Some materials for workshops are provided and some workshops require models, both for additional fees. In the event additional fees are required, they are determined at cost and divided evenly among the students.
Daily Schedule
Although each sculpture workshop begins and ends at the instructor’s discretion, the schedule is generally 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on the first day, and 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on the subsequent days, which provides six hours of instruction per day. One hour is allowed for lunch. In order to keep to the schedule, students are encouraged to bring their own bag lunches or to use Brookgreen food service facilities. A microwave oven, coffee maker, and vending machines are located at the Campbell Center.
Additional Questions?
email: sculptureworkshops@brookgreen.org
Please call Bryan Rapp, Director of the Master Sculptor Program (843) 235-6027, or, Kay Filar, Curatorial Associate, (843) 235-6034, or, Robin R. Salmon, VP of Art and Historical Collections and Curator of Sculpture, (843) 235-6012.
Recommended Places to Stay:
Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort (closest)
Airlines that service Myrtle Beach are - Allegiant Air, American, Delta, Porter Air, Spirit, United, US Airways and WestJet.
Airlines that service Charleston are - American Eagle, Delta, Jetblue, Southwest, United, and US Airways.