2026 Simpson Art Center Programming
2026 Wallace Master Sculptor Program Workshops
September 14 -18; Intro to Mold Making for Sculpture Workshop with Janessa Portner and Heather Hanna. $650 + material fees
This is not an advance mold-making workshop, rather an introductory workshop examining the various urethane and silicone rubber and plastic resin materials available to sculptors and the processes to create simple molds of small scale 3D sculpture and bas relief works. Students will create a two-part rubber and plaster mother mold of a small 3D printed bust, as well as other blanket and box molds and resin castings. At the instructor's discretion, and depending on complexity, students may be allowed to bring their own piece to mold if it fits within a 6" x 6" box. This is a perfect class to learn how to make simple, basic molds that students can incorporate into their own studio practice, or business, and taught by an industry expert.
September 28 - October 2; 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 19 - 22; Sculpting Extinct Animals with Gary Staab. $550 + material fees
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 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 Staab 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."
November 9 - 13; Beginning Portrait Sculpting with Bryan Rapp. $325 + 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. Students will follow the instructor's step-by-step instruction, constructing a head armature and will learn how to proportion eyes, nose, mouth, and ears from photo references, and examine facial muscles and gestures to capture the uniqueness or spirit of an individual. Returning students may choose their own subject. Anyone interested in creature or monster making is welcome to choose their own subject.
Bryan Rapp is 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 BFA from Muskingum University, and an MFA in sculpture from the University of Oklahoma ('16), where he studied under Paul Moore, FNSS. Bryan began his sculpting career in 2004 in Alan Cottrill's studio and foundry, Coopermill Bronzeworks, in Zanesville, Ohio, as a mold and wax tech for three years, 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 know as "Lost Wax' casting while fabricating a 12' tall bronze mascot in the university's foundry for the football stadium.
Simpson Art Center additional programs:
Open Studios is a program that is open to the public once a month, 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 | 10 AM - 12 PM
Free and open to the public
1/21, 2/18, 3/25, 4/22, 5/27, 6/10, 7/22 with Artist in Residence Chad Fisher, 8/12, 9/23, 10/14, 11/18
Sip and Sculpt
Try your hand at sculpting a small clay Bas Relief while sipping on wine and Hors d'oeuvre.
Saturday, January 24, 2026 | 1-3 PM
Saturday, March 28, 2026 | 1-3 PM
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | 4-6 PM
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 4-6 PM
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: [email protected]
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.