Founded in 1893, the National Sculpture Society (NSS) was the first organization of professional

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s formed in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The purpose of the organization was to promote the welfare of American sculptors, although its founding members included several renowned

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s. The founding members included such well known figures of the day as Daniel Chester French, Augustus St. Gaudens, Richard Morris Hunt, and

Stanford White Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect. He was also a partner in the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, one of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms. He designed many houses for the rich, in addition ...

as well as sculptors less familiar today, such as Herbert Adams, Paul W. Bartlett,

Karl Bitter Karl Theodore Francis Bitter (December 6, 1867 – April 9, 1915) was an Austrian-born American sculptor best known for his architectural sculpture, memorials and residential work. Life and career The son of Carl and Henrietta Bitter, he was ...

, J. Massey Rhind, Attilio Piccirilli, and

John Quincy Adams Ward John Quincy Adams Ward (June 29, 1830 – May 1, 1910) was an American sculptor, whose most familiar work is his larger than life-size standing statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City. Early ye ...

—who served as the first president for the society. Since its founding in the nineteenth century, the National Sculpture Society (NSS) has remained dedicated to promoting figurative and realistic sculpture. During the years 1919 to 1924, four works commissioned from members of the National Sculpture Society were funded by philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntire, including '' George Rogers Clark'' (1921) by Robert Ingersoll Aitken at Charlottesville, Virginia. Membership worldwide in 2006 was around 4,000 members, including sculptors, architects, art historians, and conservators. Its headquarters, library, and gallery are located in midtown Manhattan. In 1951, the NSS started publishing ''

Sculpture Review ''Sculpture Review'' is the official illustrated publication of the National Sculpture Society (NSS). It is concerned with figurative sculpture. It features articles about the history of figurative sculpture and sculptors as well as current arti ...

'', a quarterly magazine. It is now published for NSS by Sage Publishing in conjunction with Policy Studies Organization. Past presidents of the society have included

, James Earle Fraser, Chester Beach, Wheeler Williams,

Leo Friedlander Leo Friedlander (July 6, 1888 – October 24, 1966) was an American sculptor, who has made several prominent works. Friedlander studied at the Art Students League in New York City, the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Brussels and Paris, and the America ...

Neil Estern Neil Carl Estern (April 18, 1926 – July 11, 2019) was an American sculptor. Known for his public monuments, Estern's best-known works are his sculptures of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Fala (dog), Fala at the Franklin Delano R ...

, and Cecil de Blaquiere Howard. The first woman to gain admission into the NSS was

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson (January 29, 1871 – October 29, 1932), also known as Tho. A. R. Kitson and Theo Alice Ruggles, was an American sculptor. Life Kitson was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, to Cyrus W. and Anna H. Ruggles. As a youn ...

, in 1893. She was followed a few years later by

Enid Yandell Enid Yandell (October 6, 1869 – June 12, 1934) was an American sculptor from Louisville, Kentucky who studied with Auguste Rodin in Paris, Philip Martiny in New York City, and Frederick William MacMonnies. Yandell specialized in portrait bus ...

and Bessie Potter Vonnoh in 1898; Janet Scudder in 1904; Anna Hyatt Huntington in 1905 and Evelyn Longman and Abastenia St. Leger Eberle in 1906. In 1946,

Richmond Barthé James Richmond Barthé, also known as Richmond Barthé (January 28, 1901 – March 5, 1989) was an African Americans, African-American sculptor associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Barthé is best known for his portrayal of black subjects. The ...

was likely the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

to be admitted. In 1994, the NSS held their first exhibition outside the United States at the Palazzo Mediceo Di Seravezza in Italy. Titled “100 Years of the National Sculpture Society of the United States of America in Italy” it ran from the 16th of July through the 4th of September and was curated by Nicky and

Stanley Bleifeld Stanley Bleifeld (August 28, 1924 – March 26, 2011) was an American sculptor. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bleifeld earned bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of science in education and in 1949 a master of fine arts degree in painting at ...

along with Costantino Paolicchi in collaboration with Lodovico Gierut and Paolo Giorgi. Among the 60 notable American sculptors whose work was selected for the exhibition were

, Andrew DeVries, Neil Estern, Leonda Finke,

Bruno Lucchesi Bruno Lucchesi (born 1926) is an Italian-American sculptor known for his figurative work. Lucchesi was born in Fibbiano Montanino in Lucca, Italy. He studied at the Art Institute of Lucca, then moved to Florence, Italy, where he became Assistant ...

, Barbara Lekberg, Richard MacDonald and Elliott Offner.National Sculpture Society, Finito di stampare nel mese di luglio 1994 dalle EDIZIONI ETS Pisa

References

External links

National Sculpture Society website
{{Authority control American artist groups and collectives American sculpture Art societies Art and design-related professional associations Arts organizations established in 1893 1893 establishments in the United States