Samuel Cashwan
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Samuel Adolph Cashwan (1900–1988) was an American
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 ...
.


History

Born Samual Adolf Cashwan to Jewish parents in
Cherkasy Cherkasy (, ) is a city in central Ukraine. Cherkasy serves as the administrative centre of Cherkasy Oblast as well as Cherkasy Raion within the oblast. The city has a population of Cherkasy is the cultural, educational and industrial centre ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, Cashwan's parents left Russia and emigrated to New York City in 1906. Cashwan began his art studies after the family moved to
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
in 1916. His first exposure to art came from his art teacher, Katherine Conover at Detroit's Central High School. Cashwan then took art course at the John Wicker School of Art in Detroit and later at
Detroit City College Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-largest university w ...
. In 1918, Cashwan served in the
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
. He was discharged following the end of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and returned to New York City, where he continued with his art training at the
Architectural League of New York The Architectural League of New York is a non-profit organization "for creative and intellectual work in architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construct ...
. Cashwan then moved to Paris from 1923 to 1926 where he attended the
École des Beaux-Arts ; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centu ...
under the sculptor
Antoine Bourdelle Antoine Bourdelle (; 30 October 1861 – 1 October 1929), born Émile Antoine Bordelles, was an influential and prolific French sculptor and teacher. He was a student of Auguste Rodin, a teacher of Giacometti and Henri Matisse, and an important ...
. He returned to Detroit in 1927 and became an art instructor at the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
. Cashwan also served as the head of the sculpture department of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts until 1942. Cashwan was also employed by the
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...
(WPA) from 1936 until 1942 as the supervisor of its sculpture and ceramics program. He was to credit the income from these teaching positions to allow art to his own tastes rather than that of the art market. During his time at the WPA, Cashwan created several sculptures for outside display at Michigan State University. At the Olin Health Center, he created
bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
s of the Greek gods
Panacea In Greek mythology and religion, Panacea (Greek ''Πανάκεια'', Panakeia), a goddess of universal remedy, was the daughter of Asclepius and Epione. Mythology Panacea and her four sisters each performed a facet of Apollo's art: * Panac ...
and
Hygeia Hygieia is a goddess from Greek mythology (more commonly spelled Hygeia, sometimes Hygiea; ; or , or ). Hygieia is a goddess of health ( – ''hugieia''), cleanliness and hygiene. Her name is the source for the word "hygiene". Hygieia devel ...
. At one of the university entrances, he created a sculpture of a man, a woman, a horse and several sheafs of wheat. These figures symbolized the university's beginnings as a school of agriculture. In January, 1942, Cashwan exhibited sculptural work at an opening of the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
in New York City. Following the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Cashwan was hired as a designer for
General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
, a position that he held until his retirement in 1965. He moved to
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
shortly thereafter, where he lived until his death in 1988. Cashwan created two prominent sculptures at the 1966 Oldsmobile Administrative Building in Lansing, Michigan: ''Prometheus'' in the building's lobby and ''Open Cage'' at an important entrance. The
Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...
sculpture signified the spirit of research necessary to industrial progress, and Open Cage signified people working in groups. While Cashwan suggested that his work had been influenced by both Romanesque and
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
sculpture, as his career progress his work developed along more and more abstract lines. By the late 1930s, his figural work had become very angular, stressing sharp lines and large volumes. His pieces created following World War II were even more abstract, his later ones having altogether abandoned figural reference. Like many of the sculptors of his day Cashwan was endowed with both the skills and the opportunity to work with architects and create architectural sculpture. Buildings adorned by his hand can be found in both
Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...
and Detroit.


Architectural work

* St. Aloysius Church, Donaldson & Meier architects,
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
- two Angles on facade 1927 * Water Conditioning Plant, Black & Black architects,
Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan. The most populous city in Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, parts of the city extend into Eaton County, Michigan, Eaton County and nort ...
, 1938 * Olin Health Center, Ralph Calder, architect,
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
,
East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, although a small portion extends north into Clinton County. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 47,741. The city is located immediate ...
, 1939 * Abbott Street Entrance Marker,
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
, East Lansing, Michigan 1939 * Edward Denby Memorial, Brodhead Armory, Detroit MI, 1939 * Music Building, Ralph Calder, architect, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 1940 * Student Union Addition, ''
Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...
Frieze In classical architecture, the frieze is the wide central section of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic order, Ionic or Corinthian order, Corinthian orders, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Patera (architecture), Paterae are also ...
'', Ralph Calder, architect,
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
, East Lansing, Michigan


Public monuments

* ''Brady Memorial'', Belle Isle, Detroit MI, 1928 * ''Abraham Lincoln'', Lincoln Consolidated Schools, Augusta Township, Michigan, 1938 * ''Pioneer Mother'',
Clare, Michigan Clare is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located near the center of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, the city is located mostly in Clare County, while a small portion extends south into Isabella County. The city had a population of 3,254 at t ...
, 1938 * ''Three Musicians'', Michigan State University, East Lansing MI c. 1940 * ''Miller Memorial'', Kellog Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1940


References


Additional sources

* Barrie, Bentley, Helms and Raspond'', Artists in Michigan: 1900-1976'', Wayne State University Press, Detroit 1989 * Brunk, Colby, Jacobs et al., ''Arts and Crafts in Detroit 1906-1976: The Movement, The Society, The School'', Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit MI 1976 * Colby, Joy Hakanson, ''Art and a City: A History of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts'', Wayne State University Press, Detroit MI 1956 * Doyle, Right Reverend John M., ''Saint Aloysius Church: The Old and the New'', Centennial Publishing Company, Detroit 1930 * Hendry, Fay L., ''Outdoor Sculpture in Lansing'', iota Press, Okamos, Michigan 1980 * Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, ''Architectural Sculpture in America'', unpublished manuscript * Miller, Dorothy C., ed. ''Americans 1942: 18 Artists From 9 States'', Museum of Modern Art, New York 1942 * Smith, Dorothy Hitchingham, ''Footsteps From the Past'', mimeographed booklet 1975


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cashwan, Samuel 1900 births American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Ukrainian Jews Jewish American sculptors Jewish Ukrainian sculptors Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States People from Cherkasy Wayne State University alumni 1988 deaths University of Michigan faculty Federal Art Project artists American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts 20th-century American sculptors American male sculptors 20th-century American male artists