My Studio

I am never alone
In my Sacred Solitude
Forever I am listening
And speaking at once,
To my subject,
To my audience.

      Shelley  Curtiss

Shelley  Curtiss Resume

Shelley  Curtiss has been a professional sculptor since 1989, and a foundry owner/operator in Joseph, Oregon from 1989 to 1995.  The following is a listing of some of the bronze sculptures that she has sold directly or been commissioned to sculpture, and some of her other art-related experience. 

 “Togo”, life-size running sled dog (of Iditarod fame), commission for City of New York, Seward Park, Manhattan Island, 2000.

 Purchase by City of New York, Department of Parks and Recreation, of life-size fox “Reynard” for Fox Park, Manhattan Island, 2000.

 “He Who Thinks He’s Invisible”, life-size cougar, commission for Oregon Department of Transportation and City of Joseph, Oregon, now on permanent display, Main Street, Joseph, Oregon, 1999.

 Four bas-relief representations of works by Augustus Saint Gaudens, commission for City of New York, Saint Gaudens Memorial Park, Manhattan Island, 1997.

 “The Beaver Buddies”, two pairs of life-size beavers, commission for City of New York, Riverside Park and Jacob Schiff Park, Manhattan Island, New York, 1996.

 “Echoes From the Canyon”, series (3) of Native American Art Representations from Hell’s Canyon, commission for U. S. Forest Service, Hell’s Canyon Visitor’s Center, Enterprise, Oregon, 1995.

 Reproductions of 1860’s era Bronze Chandeliers, U. S. Treasury Department, U. S. Treasury Building adjacent to the White House, Andrew Johnson Suite, 1993.

 “The River Walkers”, two larger-than-life (6-feet tall) blue herons sculpted into a fountain, commission for Walker River Resort, Smith, Nevada, 1991.

 Sold the top priced sculpture at “Art in the Park”, Loveland, CO, 1994.

 Artist in Residence, Eastern Oregon University, 1997.

 Taught “Ceramic Shell Casting”, Washington, D. C., sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, 1993.

Shelley  Curtiss Artist Biography

Shelley  Curtiss’s sculpture is smooth and stylized representational bronze with rich organic patina.  At the age of fifty, she has accomplished a wide variety of works including commissioned pieces for five New York City Parks, the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Forrest Service.  “When I create a figure, whether animal, human or abstract, I try to subtly balance my voice with what the subject itself ultimately wants to say.  This is a compelling challenge.”  Her fundamental approach is to deliberately remove detail that detracts from the overall composition and add lines or planes that will enhance the visual impact she is seeking.  Usually, less is more.  Then her foundry must take on the challenge to produce a top quality bronze that preserves the artist’s visual integrity.  Given the complexity of the foundry process, that is no small task

 Having been a co-owner and operator of a foundry for six years, Curtiss cultivated high standards and respect for the artisans who cast and finish her bronzes.  “I work with a group of guys close to my home in Joseph, Oregon, that do a wonderful job for me.  Though I used to get an incredible thrill out of pouring molten bronze into my own shells and playing with patina chemicals, I now devote more time to my studio.  These guys know exactly what I want before I put my signature on each piece.”

 Curtiss entered the world of sculpture with a degree in the sciences in 1983 when she discovered she had a talent for drawing.  From there she progressed to modeling in clay, going to art shows and visiting foundries.  She made alliances with other artists and educated herself in art theory and history.  “I love the visual language of form and am particularly fascinated with the casting of metals.  I read contemporary foundry manuals, and old, out of print books on 19th century foundry methods, which led me to even older and ancient accounts of foundry processes.”

 The books Sculpture Heads and Tales and Sculpture Inside and Out, written by Malvina Hoffman in the mid 1930’s are two of Curtiss’s most highly prized possessions.  “This author studied under Rodin and was commissioned by the Field Museum in Chicago to do a hundred life-size bronzes for The Hall Of Man.  Besides being a highly prolific sculptor in her day, she was a profound thinker and lucid writer with great humility.”  Malvina Hoffman writes, “Sculpture is a parable in three dimensions, a symbol of a spiritual experience, and a means of conveying truth by concentrating its essence into visible form.”

Because Shelley  Curtiss found an extraordinarily beautiful setting in the Wallowa Mountains that hosted a particularly fine bronze casting foundry and a growing number of sculptors, she moved to Northeastern Oregon in 1986.  “Joseph is a lovely and creative community.  As soon as I moved there I began teaching college drawing classes and acquainted myself with the local arts council.  I coordinated arts festivals, and actively promoted Joseph as an art mecca.  I was then hired to design and coordinate a fine art gallery on Main Street and give foundry tours.” Her strong support for the arts led Curtiss to serve on the local City Council. Subsequently, she was the first and only woman to be elected Mayor of Joseph.

 Once Curtiss began casting her own work, she was juried into major shows and enthusiastically represented by galleries.  Her work is now in numerous private and corporate art collections across the nation and in 1997 she was invited by the sculpture department at Eastern Oregon University to be the Artist in Residence.  “I am fortunate that I have been taught, encouraged and supported by a lot of really good people in my community and in the extended bronze industry.”