Mass shooting memorial wins outdoor sculpture competition for Doster
Decorated South Carolinian wins in North Carolina

Bob Doster is no stranger to accolades, and now he has another.


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"Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...
Walk into Bob Doster’s Lancaster studio and you could see sparks fly. The 68-year-old artist shapes sheets of steel into furniture and sculptures that can be seen throughout York and Lancaster counties, regionally and around the world.
“I’ve got work in lots of places I’ve never been,” said Doster, listing places like Japan, South America, the Caribbean, Italy and Canada.In the Carolinas, he has permanent installations at city main streets, museums and other places. “He has lots of his artwork around town, it’s a real source of pride,” said Debbie Jaillette, executive director of Lancaster Arts Council, which is a block away from Doster’s Backstreet Studio on Gay Street. “We all get the benefit of looking at and enjoying his artwork. I think it’s terrific his footprint is all over Lancaster County, but he does tremendous work in our schools.” Looking out her second-story office window, she sees a huge cube resting on a point. “It’s really remarkable to be up here and see huge displays of public art designed and painted by kids in our schools,” she said. “Bob coordinated all that.” His sculptures, she said, also are used as awards for teachers and other businesses and organizations, which is “really meaningful.” But perhaps his greatest craft is working with children.Art lesson
The blue jeans and denim shirt clad Doster leads 16 high school students one block from his studio to West Chestnut Street to see what he called a “provocative” piece of his artwork. “Any questions?” he asks. “Why is it on fire? a student asks. Three crosses -- all over 6 feet -- stand before them. The figures on the crosses represent the people who died, he says referring to two crosses made of regular carbon and stainless steel flanking an even larger, plain polished steel cross. Doster explains. “The flames represent hate, and hate will consume you.” The center cross, he says, represents the families of the people who died in Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Church. “It represents the purity of faith, and the way they gave forgiveness,” he said. “Faith supports the cross.” “The two crosses represent the evil of the two men who were crucified with Christ, and the center His purity,” Doster said. The piece, called Southern Cross, “represents the horrors of Christianity, and the goodness,” he said. Allen Lowery, 17, was awed by the meaning and symbolism in the crosses -- God, the KKK, slave boats, Native Americans and more. “Wow, he’s really good,” the 11th-grader said. Doster said the idea was sparked by the Confederate flag controversy in 1999. While it took 15 years to conceptualize, he said it only took a couple weeks each to shear, cut and fit the crosses. The piece has been accepted in the ArtFields competition and will be displayed April 21-29 in Lake City. “Art affects people differently,” he said. “You’ll see something in there I won’t have seen and you’ll be right.” Teresa Fields, art educator at Lancaster High, said learning from an internationally known artist and at his private studio is a motivating lesson. “The art is in the process that you go through producing that piece,” she said.Melding minds
Doster has worked with more than 60,000 students across more than 40 years as a visiting artist throughout the Carolinas. Students design and build sculptures in in clay, wood and steel, as well as paint murals and banners. Doster said “it’s an opportunity for students to see art is not just drawing on paper.” Back in the studio, Alexis Truesdale, 16 and 10th grader at Lancaster High, looked around the room, pointing out art projects she’d like to try. “I like the fact that I get to express myself and it’s neat to work with an international artist,” she said. Ninth-grader Emily Tindal, 15, tried her hand at cutting stainless steel with Doster’s help. Donning a long-sleeved denim shirt backward, a helmet and gloves, with a leather apron dropped over her shoes, she jumped as the blade touched metal and sparks flew. The piece: a cut out of the comedy and tragedy theater masks. “It was cool. I’ll tell my dad about it tonight,” she said. Her father, Conner, worked as Doster’s apprentice from age 15 through college, learning to weld, paint cars, and understanding fine art. “(Doster) was a mentor and second dad,” he said. “He would guide you to make you think about what you’re doing.” For 20 years, the 44-year-old Conner has been working in historic preservation and restoration. He specializes in masonry, but also in painting -- making the new look old. “All the things he taught me helped in allowing me to be able to do this,” he said. “He made a pretty good impression on me.” Fields talked about the pieces every age level has helped create with permanent installations at many area schools from Indian Land and Fort Mil to Clover and, of course, Lancaster. “He always does a really good job with students and gets their creative abilities out them,” she said.About the artist
Doster picked up his first blow torch at age 8 with his father, also a sculptor. The eldest of six with five sisters, Doster said his dad “Always encouraged us to do what we wanted to do. He let us learn and do.” Doster hasn’t always been a professional artist. In the 1970s, he owned a grocery store. He also was a truck driver, which has come in handy when moving his large sculptures. In college, majoring in fine arts at University of South Carolina, is when he decided “I want to do this.” After earning a Master of Arts from Clemson University, he launched his career as a professional artist in 1977, he said. He opened his studio in his hometown, Lancaster, to be near his two sons. Both now live in Raleigh. Doster entered shows, lots of shows. In the 1980s, the S.C. Arts Commission took his pieces to a show in Italy. As his artwork was being seen around the world, he also was an adjunct professor at Newberry College. The No. 1 rule for success as a professional artist is to not give up -- “be stubborn,” he said. Even with success, Doster remains humble. He said his wife of 16 years, Cherry Doster, is “a better artist than I am” pointing to her sculptures and paintings in the studio. The couple met when she took his college class. “She was the best student I ever had,” he said. He also gives high praise to James Utz, 39, who came to work with Doster 15 years ago, with a print making degree from Winthrop University. Doster designs the pieces, and Utz puts them together. “He can see better than I can see,” Doster said. Professionally and personally the duo say their bond is as strong as the steel they work with. “He gets us into things we might not pursue otherwise,” Utz said. “I’m not going to say I’m a better welder than he is, but I’m a better welder than him. But he gets the big picture.” Doster takes care of the business end and is the social one, Utz said. “I would not be able to keep it going as a business and be this successful at it,” Utz said. “He’s gregarious, fun, easy going, messy, very messy, loyal. We’re like family at this point.”The art studio
The former 1930s brick pool hall is now a 7,000-square-foot studio. The exterior front wall is covered in dinner plates. The entrance opens to space where Doster’s and other artists’ works are displayed. Studio visitors can take a piece of his artwork home. The price may be anywhere from $5 to $200,000, or more. There’s a wall lined with newspaper and magazine clippings. The headlines: “Doster named hero of S.C. 2001 Year of Child,” “Keeper of Culture,” “Doster wins state’s top award,” and “Sculptor helps mold students.” Walk up the ramp on the left side of the bricked wall into a space for working. On any given weekday, there are 12-18 students at work creating their art projects that will be displayed on their city streets. Out the back door is a garden with more sculptures, including some by his father. A space used for bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, weddings, art crawls and other gatherings. But to the right of the main front door is another door into the welding workshop. Doster’s rescue dog Muddy, greets visitors, as does Utz’s rescue dog, Bailey, It looks and smells like an auto shop. Lancaster High senior Chasity Ellis, 18, said, “Everything is everywhere.” But Doster knows where everything goes, showing the class how he cuts and works with the metal to form a heart. “That’s amazing,” a student says.
Harrisburg Elementary School in Lancaster County received a $10,155 Arts in Basic Curriculum Advancement grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission. These grants support ongoing comprehensive planning, strategic projects and implementation of standards-based arts education initiatives. Find out more about the ABC Project. From the The Fort Mill Times Article and photos by Stephanie Marks Martell
Harrisburg Elementary is the latest school in Lancaster County School District to create its own unique legacy sculpture with local artist Bob Doster, who has been working with schools and students since the 1970s. Approximately 150 fifth graders each drew a self portrait on steel. Doster helped them use a plasma cutter to finish the pieces. He will assemble the individual portraits into the final piece, which will be displayed in front of the school. The sculpture is designed to be cumulative, with the option for future students to add onto it in coming years. The project was funded through a state Arts in Basic Curriculum grant. This is Harrisburg Elementary’s first year receiving the grant, which will also be used for professional development for teachers and a puppet show, says Harrisburg Elementary art teacher Melissa Hinson. “All of our schools have worked with Bob,” said Hinson, who first met Doster at a pottery demonstration at Beaufort Elementary. “He does a good job. He’s always willing to be a teacher,” Hinson said. “Bob’s been around students so long now, he’s good at knowing what to say. He knows that this is new to them and it’s great to see that patience modeled.”
Harrisburg Elementary third grade teacher Jennifer Galbraith recalls working on a project with Doster to create a bench nearly 20 years ago when she was a student at North Elementary in Lancaster. “I remember it was really cool that my bench was there when I was teaching there,” Galbraith said. “A lot of our teachers have been students under him at some point. I run into them all over the state,” Hinson said. “I just wanted the students to meet him. I’m always a big fan of children using materials they wouldn’t normally use. When again are they going to use a plasma cutter? Probably never. They were all terrified, and then they walked away saying, ‘That was great.’”
[gallery ids="12501,12502,12503"] Seventy-five sculpture artists from across the nation applied to the 9th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition organized by the City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department. Two of the 11 artists chosen for the exhibition are from South Carolina: Bob Doster of Lancaster and Kevin Eichner of Hilton Head. The exhibition was presented as a component of the 2014 North Charleston Arts Festival and is displayed at the North Charleston Riverfront Park through March 25, 2015. This unique, 11-month exhibition offers established and emerging artists the opportunity to display their thought provoking, extraordinary sculptures, as well as compete for up to $16,250 in honorariums and awards. "The natural beauty of Riverfront Park offers the ideal setting for each of these remarkable sculptures,” said juror Brad Thomas, director of residencies & exhibitions at the McColl Center in Charlotte, N.C. “I have long been a proponent of art outside the confines of museum and gallery walls. Sculpture in public spaces can serve to intrigue those who may be considered excluded from the world of art. By virtue of its placement, art in public spaces serves as ambassador, possessing the potential to break down perceived barriers of exclusivity and unlock a lifetime of creative thought and inquiry.” The 11 sculptures selected for exhibition are by 11 artists from seven states. Congratulations to the winners of the 2014/15 National Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition:
From the Spartanburg Herald-Journal: (Story by Zach Fox. Photos by Alex Hicks Jr. Click on the SHJ link above to see more photos.)
A Cleveland Academy of Leadership student got to see one of his drawings take shape in the form of a metal sculpture that will be installed in front of the school.
Metal sculptor Bob Doster has been at the school this week working on a sculpture as part of an arts grant from the Chapman Cultural Center. On Friday, he showed a group of first-graders the finished but unpainted sculpture. At the top of the piece, are faces of children, drawn and designed by first-grader Elijah Roseburgh. “I drew my friends because they're my best friends and they're nice to me,” he said, adding that he was very excited to see his design come to life. Doster worked with all grade levels during the past four days to create a sculpture fitting the school's motto “Leader in me.” “The kindergartners did the best job. They're fearless,” he said, adding that older students are more conscious of people watching them. He said the kindergartners were awed by the plasma cutter, the tool he uses to cut metal, and the act of cutting the metal. He said the kindergartners were the best at taking instruction and following his lead. Doster said that he began working with metal as a child, first picking up a torch when he was 8 years old. He's been working with students since 1975 and estimates he's sculpted with more than 100,000 students. Claire Louka, art teacher at Cleveland Academy, said she was excited to have a metal sculptor in the classroom because sculpting, especially with metal, is something most elementary schools don't get to do. “I wanted a metal sculptor because it's not something we can really do in class,” she said. Louka gathered her students together Friday afternoon and had to work to maintain their attention. On Fridays, students can get a little restless, she said. She had the class form a neat line at the door. Once they were quiet and lined-up, the students went outside to see the finished sculpture as the primer covering it dried. The sculpture weighs about 200 pounds and features a tiger and the number seven, symbolizing the seven habits of effective people which emphasizes leadership skills. The number seven also represents School District 7. Elijah beamed with pride when he saw his work at the top of the sculpture. “I like drawing a lot,” he said. “This is cool.”Via: Spartanburg Herald Journal
The South Carolina Arts Commission was honored to be asked to contribute to an Americans for the Arts blog salon on teaching artists. Many thanks to the four artists highlighted: Bob Doster of Lancaster, Patz Fowle of Hartsville, Francee Levin of Columbia, and Glenis Redmond of Greenville. (Image: Glenis Redmond with student)
Rich in Rewards: Why Teaching Artists TeachWhy do some artists decide to teach? For many, the attraction is a desire to connect students to a creative process and to the larger arts community. For others, teaching fuels their work as artists. The South Carolina Arts Commission’s Roster of Approved Artists includes more than 900 artists who have been approved to conduct residencies and performances in schools. Many have been teaching for as long as they’ve been artists. We wanted to know more, so we asked four Roster artists about their experiences. Read the artist interviews here: http://blog.artsusa.org/2014/03/13/rich-in-rewards-why-teaching-artists-teach/
Check out this video from South Carolina ETV's "Palmetto Scene," which recently featured Lancaster artist Bob Doster and his work as an artist in residence with schools. Doster is a member of the South Carolina Arts Commission's Roster of Approved Artists.
Related: Sculptor Bob Doster's impact on students profile on Palmetto Scene Via: South Carolina ETVVia: The Lancaster NewsOver the course of a career that spans some 30-plus years, Bob Doster has mentored, taught and encouraged more than 100,000 public school arts students throughout the Carolinas. Locally, the program airs on Comporium cable on Channel 116. SCETV Producer John Bullington said Doster was profiled because of the impact he has made, and continues to make, in the lives of students. “Throughout the state, Bob Doster’s name is synonymous with his metal palmetto tree designs, but I thought it would be good to focus on his work in education,” Bullington said. Palmetto Scene is a new series that profiles, and shares, the special people and places that give South Carolina its flavor. “No one realizes the amount of stuff he (Doster) has done,” Bullington said. The almost five-minute profile focuses on how Doster works with students to help them design metal sculptures for their school grounds. Also featured in the segment are Lancaster, Indian Land and Fort Mill art teachers, Dianne Mahaffee, Teresa Petty and Susan Miller. “One thing I was impressed with is, he (Doster) is no nonsense,” Bullington said. “He works on deadlines because he wants students to know what ‘real-world’ experiences are like.” Doster said he stresses to budding artists the importance of honoring commitments on time, doing a quality job and sticking to budgets. Art may be art, but it is also a business. He also explained why working with students has become a passion to him. “I've always enjoyed the opportunity to let the students be creative on their own,” he said. “With the sculptures, particularly, they start on Monday with just an idea and by Thursday, they have a 3-D sculpture.” Doster said he has worked with school districts in both Carolinas that have “lots of money” for projects, as well as districts with little or no money. Regardless of circumstances, he encourages students to make the most of the resources they have. It’s vital, he said, for students to understand the importance of presenting a project of quality. “I take the talent I have, no matter how good or bad it is, and work with that,” he said laughing. “I tell them, ‘I don’t care how ugly it is because it has your name on it.’ I say this to motivate them to do their best.” Doster said he reminds students their work may not always be accepted. Even when it’s not, they should never give up. “The philosophy I bring is, ‘I expect you to do a grown-up level of work and for every 10 projects you go after, you feel successful if one gets selected,’” he said. Doster said the end result is always the same. “I just like seeing the kids’ faces light up when they accomplish something they couldn’t imagine four days earlier,” he said.
According to SCNow, the City of Florence, S.C., is making progress in installing public art downtown. Artists Patz Fowle, Mike Fowle and Bob Doster are creating large sculptures for the city. (View photos of artists Patz and Mike Fowle at work on their sculpture.)
Blamity blam.That’s the sound the 20-foot tall steel sculpture named Big Bleu Birdnanna with a kinetic beak and eye piece would make, artist Patz Fowle said along with her husband and artist, Mike.
It is also the sound of progress in the arts, she said.
The local, well-known artistic duo designed and will be soon constructing the giant powder coated, steel sculpture in downtown as the city’s push for public art that began last year gets underway. (Image of sculpture fabrication pictured below.)
“Your eye lands on sculpture and it’s on public art and it brings you back again and again, and I think that’s going to bring people to Florence, even more than they do now,” Fowle said. “And then with the museum and you got the cultural arts corridor and got the Performing Arts Center, and it’s all blam, blamity blam.”
The sculpture, which Fowle describes as if “Alexander Calder gets put in a blender with Pee Wee Herman’s brain and all the people that go along with him and a little Dr. Seuss and a whole lot of us,” will sit in the green space next to the Waters building on South Dargan Street.
Ray Reich, downtown development manager of the city of Florence, said location is the challenge for public art downtown.
“The biggest challenge has been where we looked at locations, and certainly wall art has lot of opportunity and we’re only limited by funds for stuff on open walls, but in terms of actual physical pieces, the problem has been the game keeps changing in terms of development projects coming about,” Reich said. “We can’t put a piece of art there or building there or development there, and so it’s a good problem to have. So as we move forward some property is going private, and we’re talking about art on there with the property owners.”
Another spot that will become the city’s newest gallery space is the southwest part of the wall in the James Allen Plaza where Lancaster-based sculptor Bob Doster will hang a 6-foot circular stainless steel piece of the city of Florence logo. The area will also be home to three, 3-foot disks designed by local students featuring the Carolina wren, the swallowtail butterfly and marsh tacky horses as well as 8-foot tall palmetto tree and crescent moon closer toward where the courtyard meets Victor’s Bistro.
“This project lended itself to student involvement. When at all possible I like to get community involvement in it,” Doster said. “It’s a piece of Florence. I like to do that whenever possible. The kids will come up with some nice ideas, and I’ll work with them to refine it.”
Students from Briggs Elementary, Southside Middle School and Wilson High School provided their versions of the state symbols that is expected to go up next Wednesday.
“My feeling is I hope it brightens up the wall and it gets them thinking about how things can be,” Doster said, who has public art throughout the state. “When you start adding sculptural elements to downtown, it livens up the whole downtown. People see this and want to go around and see it, and it just adds to ambiance for downtown and that’s what I hope people get out of it.”
The projects, which total just under $30,000, are funded in part from Rediscover Downtown Florence membership dollars and part of the Sunday alcohol sale permits, Reich said.
“What we hope is between Sunday alcohol money and the membership money, if we continue to do well in future, we’re it hoping that we’ll have $35,000 to $40,000 every year to acquire public art,” Reich said. “It can take so many different forms, only limited by imagination and funds involved.”
Fowle said Florence is ready for contemporary art in the heart of its historic district.
“You want to walk up to it and come around a corner and see it, and you want to see other people seeing it for the first time, freaking out for the first time,” she said. “Florence is so ready, we are so ready, they’re ready or they wouldn’t have said yes.”
Via: SC Now