With the establishment of the Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Center for American Sculpture, Brookgreen Gardens extended its educational reach to a broader audience with workshops in sculpture and drawing under the tutelage of nationally known sculptors throughout the year. To contact our sculpture department, click here and choose "sculpture" on the contact form.
2023 Wallace Master Sculptor Program Workshops
March 6-10 – Animals in Bas-Relief with Rod Zullo, FNSS. $650 + materials fee.
Students will learn to model an animal bas-relief in clay, then will make a mold and cast it in a resin material. Coloring or patination techniques also will 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 traveled throughout the world as a fisherman guide for everything 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 for 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.
**This workshop has been postponed - new date TBD**
April 3-7 – Multi Figure Composition, dealing with the allegorical narrative in sculpture, with John Belardo, FNSS. $650 + materials/model fees.
This workshop is geared more for the advanced sculpture student. In this workshop we will explore sculpture composition using multiple figures. Through a series of small bozzetti we will develop unique compositions in which multiple figures share the same sculptural space. Starting with one life model we will compose a secondary figure from memory in order to develop sophisticated compositions. We will examine how figures interact to compound into larger narratives and meanings and study how the composition manifests into allegory. A three-dimensional composition is uniquely able to engage with a sequential narrative as it unfolds over time through the viewer's position in space. We will study masterworks from the collection to illuminate some of these ideas.
John Belardo was educated as a sculptor at the New York Academy of Art and the Newington Cropsey Academy of Art, and as an apprentice in the studio of Richard McDermott Miller. His work is wide-ranging, from monumental public installations to digital prototyping and design, as well as large-scale ceramic sculpture. He is currently the Artist in Residence at Chesterwood (the historic home of Daniel Chester French). His sculptures and drawings recently have been exhibited at Brookgreen Gardens, Azarian McCullough Gallery, Vytlacil, Lodge Gallery, The Cathedral of St John the Divine, Salmagundi Club, Lyme Art Association, and the World Maker Faire at New York Hall of Science. Belardo’s work is permanently installed at Georgetown University, Cooperstown NY, and Lehman CUNY. His travel notebook drawings were featured in Drawing Magazine, and he has contributed to scholarly journals on developmental perception. Belardo recently presented the talk “Piccirilli Studio” at the NSS Annual Conference. He won the Gold Medal from the Hudson Valley Art Association. Belardo is a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society and a faculty member at Lehman College CUNY, the New York Academy of Art, Newington Cropsey Foundation Academy of Art, and a visiting scholar for the Institute for American Universities.
May 8-12 – Dynamic Animal Sculpture with Adam Matano. $650 + materials fee.
In this animal sculpture workshop, we will be making a sculpture of an animal in a dynamic pose. We will discuss proportion, animal anatomy, how it functions, as well as how it can be applied to creating a dynamic pose. We also will apply it to making the armature, as well as its influence on the forms that will be represented in the clay. Each student can pick their own individual pose, or they can work along with the instructor’s. Rhythm and design will be emphasized as we progress our individual compositions. All levels welcome from beginner to advanced.
Adam Matano is an Elected Member of the National Sculpture Society. Matano’s 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, where he exhibits his sculpture and teaches.
May 22-26 – The Seated Figure with Alicia Ponzio, FNSS. $650 + materials/model fees.
In figure modeling, the seated figure presents different challenges and lessons than the standing figure. Practicing with a variety of poses will help the student build confidence to describe any pose imaginable and allow the individual a broader range of expression with the figure. Alicia will collaborate with the students to design the pose.
Alicia N. Ponzio is a Fellow and board member of the National Sculpture Society (b.1974). Ponzio began her career as a Lieutenant in the United States' Navy Nurse Corps. After experimenting with various mediums in figurative art, she found her voice in sculpture and made the decision to pursue it. She completed her artistic training at the Florence Academy of Art (FAA) in Florence, Italy, where she completed the Sculpture Program in 2008. She was then the director of the Artistic Anatomy and Écorché Sculpture programs; as well as a figure drawing instructor at the FAA until 2011, when she returned to the United States and set up her studio in downtown San Francisco. Alicia brings life to her bronzes and plasters, focusing on the abstract movement of forms as embodied in the human figure and the subtle shades of human emotion. Her figure compositions and portraits have received recognition and honors from several organizations including the Art Renewal Center, the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, The Portrait Society of America, The California Art Club, and The National Sculpture Society from which Alicia received the Alex J. Ettl Grant in 2016. She is a Fellow and board member of the National Sculpture Society and a Signature Artist of the Portrait Society of America. She has taught at various venues around the United States, Canada, and Italy including the Florence Academy of Art, the Rome Art Workshops, Brookgreen Gardens, Pixar Studios, The University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, and The Scottsdale Artists’ School in addition to her own private Studio classes in San Francisco. She teaches a wide range of classes including various aspects of Figure and Portrait Modeling, Artistic Anatomy in drawing and sculpture, and Figure Drawing. Her work ranges from miniature portraits to larger scale single- and multi-figure compositions. She works extensively in plaster to achieve her effect and casts the final product in bronze.
June 12-16 – Make Your Own Brookgreen Medal with Heidi Wastweet, FNSS. $650 + materials fee and optional casting 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 the chief engraver for Sunshine Mint for 11 years and lead designer/sculptor for Global Mint for five years. In 2001 Wastweet 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 a former president and founder of the 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. Wastweet served two four-year terms on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee for the US Mint in Washington, DC. 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, Wastweet also has 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 26 – 29; Sculpting a Bust from Photos, with Bryan Rapp, Director of the Master Sculptor Program at Brookgreen. $325 plus material fees
This intensive four-day workshop will teach students how to construct a human facial likeness in clay from multiple reference photographs. While a live model is always preferred (and faster), that is not always possible when sculpting subjects who cannot be physically present. This course will give students a foundation that will benefit them when working from photos or from a live model. Students will first construct a simple armature and skull, and then build muscles to understand planes, proportions, and alignment which will help students better read their photographs and map their bust. Last, students will learn to capture the spirit of their subjects through the nuances that make each individual and their expressions unique. During our time together, students will also hear brief lectures and learn about various tools, clays, and processes involved with sculpting. If time and weather permit, we will also walk the grounds to observe how sculptors in our collection have sculpted the face.
August 21 – 25; Beginning the Human Figure, with Bryan Rapp. $325 plus model and material fees
In this five-day “figure study”, students will work from a live model to construct an 18” clay figure. Beginning with a prefabricated armature, students will learn how to read the bodies’ complex structure and translate it into basic forms, landmarks, and planes. Working from a live model, students will quickly see how the body responds to various movements, light, and weight, which will help them to create more compelling compositions. This workshop is tailored to beginning students but is open to anyone.
Bryan Rapp is a figurative sculptor and the Director of the Wallace Master Sculptor Program at Brookgreen Gardens. From 2016 to 2019 Rapp was the first Artist-in-residence at Coastal Carolina University, where he taught all processes in the ancient clay to bronze tradition known as “Lost Wax” casting. In 2016 Rapp received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma, studying under the mentorship of sculptors Paul Moore, FNSS, and Sohail Shehada. Prior to graduate school, Rapp attended Muskingum University for Studio Art, and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh for computer animation. From 2004 to 2006 Rapp worked with sculptor Alan Cottrill in his studio and foundry, Coopermill Bronzeworks, in Zanesville, Ohio, as a mold and wax tech and assisted on numerous large commissions for Cottrill and his clients. Rapp has produced work for both private collectors and public commissions and has exhibited his work in several states.
September 4-8 – The Portrait in Relief Sculpture: A Course in Medallic Design and Process with Eugene Daub, FNSS. $650 + 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. 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 Daub 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.
September 25-29 – Plein Air Figure Sculpture with Kevin Chambers. $650 + material/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 which they will 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 did anatomical workshops with Andrew Cawrse.
October 16-19 – Sculpting Extinct Animals with Gary Staab. $550 plus materials cost.
In this 4 day workshop each student will be given the option to sculpt one of 3 subjects A Mammoth, a Camarasaurus or a T-rex. We will discuss the anatomy of living animals and how it informs the restoration of extinct life forms. Working over an armature and using skeletal diagrams and fossil reference casts, each student will flesh out their chosen animal. Students will be able to pick the pose of the animal or follow along with the instructor. We will cover techniques to create believable movement as well as a variety of textural finishes in clay. Staab will also discuss the challenges and complexities of working on a large- and small-scale Paleo Art sculptures. We will discuss the philosophy of what material to use and when to use it. Beginning students are welcome.
Gary has been making sculptures for Natural History Museums for over 35 years and is an elected member of the National Sculpture Society. He first started his interest in animals at age 11 by taking a taxidermy correspondence course. Since then, his entire life has been focused on understanding the shapes and complexity of the natural world, both past and present.
His work has been displayed at the National Geographic Society, The Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The Beijing Museum of Natural History and the British Museum of Natural History, among many others. You can see his work featured on the PBS NOVA special. “Iceman Reborn.”
October 23-27 – Birds in Sculpture with Sandy Scott, FNSS. $650 + 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. 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. Scott 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 to 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.
November 6-10 – Modeling the Tao of Equus: Structure & Expression with Stephanie Revennaugh. $650 + materials fee.
We will explore the dance between the structure of equine anatomy and the expression that resonates with the heart. How do we reach beyond the critical building of bones and muscles toward the ineffable that makes a piece of clay or metal seemingly exude life?
Stephanie Revennaugh is an elected member of the National Sculpture Society. “Soulful and dynamic” describes Stephanie Revennaugh's work. Her sculpture is born from an intimate acquaintance with her equine and canine subjects that is executed with delight in form and texture. Revennaugh’s work has been featured in exhibitions, collections, and publications globally. The National Sculpture Society awarded her the Marilyn Newmark Memorial Grant for a meritorious body of work in animal sculpture. In 2018 she was elected as an NSS member. Revennaugh is largely self-taught through workshops with notable artists in the US and France. Living her early years in Ohio and in Central and South America gave her a taste for adventure and exploration. She currently resides in Montana, where she can be found exploring Big Sky country with her whippet pups or training with her Thoroughbred Eventer. Drawing on experiences around the world, Stephanie continues to evolve, creating ever more evocative work.
WORKSHOP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Registration and Payment
Registration is accepted on a first come/first serve basis by contacting Curatorial Associate Kay Filar at 843-235-6034 or kfilar@brookgreen.org. A registration fee of $150—charged online on a major credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa) or paid in cash or by check (made out to “Brookgreen Gardens” and sent to ATTN: Sculpture Workshops, Brookgreen Gardens, PO Box 3368, Pawleys Island, SC 29585)—secures a spot in the class. Students are asked to provide a complete mailing address, phone number, and email address when registering. A waiting list is established once a class has filled. After attending one workshop, students may receive a 10% discount for attendance in subsequent workshops during the same year.
Withdrawals, Cancellations, and Refund Policies
Withdrawals from a workshop must be in writing and be given at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the workshop except in the case of emergency. Our preference is to apply the registration deposit to a future workshop; but if this not possible, the deposit will be refunded. If a student withdraws during a workshop, a prorated tuition payment plus any fees for materials and models must be paid. The $150 registration deposit will not be returned if a student does not attend and does not provide a written notice of withdrawal. Students will receive a full refund if a workshop must be cancelled by Brookgreen Gardens.
Levels of Skill
All workshops require students to have a basic familiarity with the subject matter of the class; but most, unless otherwise noted, are suitable for beginners.
Supplies, Books, and Additional Fees
Some instructors prefer to have specific supplies ordered for the entire class and delivered directly to the studio. Others send out a supply list a few weeks before the workshop and require that students buy and bring their own supplies. Students may not bring their own clay to the workshop unless the instructor has requested them to do so. If an instructor recommends books for the class, students are encouraged to obtain them prior to the first day of the workshop. Additional fees for materials (at cost) and/or models will be totaled for the week and divided evenly among the number of students participating. Students will receive individualized invoices including remaining tuition and these fees for payment on the last day of the workshop.
Entering Brookgreen Gardens
On the first day you will enter after 9:30 am, when the Gardens open, through Brookgreen’s main entrance and proceed to the Admissions Plaza. Stop there and give your name to the attendant, who then will admit you. On subsequent days you will enter before 9:30 through the security/staff entrance located on the south side of the main entrance. Stop there and give your name to the safety officer, who will then admit you. On those days you may pass through the right side of the Admissions Plaza without stopping since no one will be there at the time you arrive.
Location
The workshop takes place in the studio at the Campbell Center for American Sculpture located next to the entrance of the Lowcountry Zoo. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Brookgreen Gardens’ entrance to the Center. Follow the signs to the Welcome Center (passing it on your left), proceed past the Lowcountry Center (also on your left), and then follow the signs to the left turn-off to the Campbell Center and the Zoo. The Campbell Center will be the second building on your right, with angled parking on the road.
Workshop Times
Workshops begin at 10 am on the first day (usually a Monday) and conclude at 5 pm on the last day of the workshop (typically a Friday). All other days the workshop is scheduled to start at 9 am and conclude at 4 pm, but may be adjusted by the instructor after the first day. Please be punctual.
Lunch
There is an hour break each day for lunch. This is not enough time to leave the Brookgreen property, so you should bring your own lunch. A refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker, and vending machines are located in the studio building. You also may purchase lunch at a Brookgreen Gardens’ food service facility. The Lowcountry Café—with sandwiches, drinks, snacks—is located nearby.
Payment
The final payment of remaining tuition plus any materials and models fees will be due on the last morning of the workshop and may be made with cash, check, or online with major credit card.
Questions? Contact Kay Filar at 843-235-6034, kfilar@brookgreen.org or Bryan Rapp at brapp@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)
The Oceanfront Litchfield Inn
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.