On Wednesday July 28, Brooklyn’s very own modern sculpture extraordinaire, Robin Antar, will be featured on an episode of Caught In The Act: Art In Brooklyn.

Ms. Antar, who has had incredible success with her stone sculptures and other contemporary sculptures which represent key items in American culture, will be featuring some of her latest artwork on the program. If you are a supporter of Ms. Antar’s works, you certainly want to catch this show, as she will get to explain things that can give the audience a further look into her artwork and herself as an artist.

If you already have an appreciation for Ms. Antar’s artwork, seeing her in action will give you a whole new level of appreciation for her. Not only are you going to see the artwork that she produces, but you are going to see the source out of which her artwork is produced. This new layer of knowledge, which many people are not exposed to, can actually change the perception of her artwork in a very positive way.

With that being said, be sure to check out Caught In The Act: Art In Brooklyn on Wednesday night, July 28, at 10 P.M. The show will be on Time Warner Channel 56, Cablevision Channel 69, and in all five boroughs, on Verizon Channel 44. Also, if you prefer, you can watch the show streamed live at www.bricartsmedia.org/bit <http://www.bricartsmedia.org/bit>, and launch Channel Three.

Award-winning sculptor Robin Antar recently got together with Domenico  at Ranieri Casters in Long Island City, New York to create her new line of bronze shoes and boots. The success of her shoes and boots sculptures are well-documented, and it looks like there are more people who are interested in getting some of the wonderful pieces for themselves.

A short while ago, Atlanta-based philanthropist Todd Zeldin was so fascinated by Ms. Antar’s footwear collection that he decided to buy 10 of her sculptures. Zeldin has collected art for quite some time now, as he likes to sell a lot of it in order to support the art community in Atlanta. With the 10 pieces of “footwear” he just purchased from Ms. Antar, the art community in Atlanta should be doing fine for a while.

Ms. Antar’s success with the footwear collection is no coincidence. She puts a bunch of her time and effort into making sure that everything looks extremely real and life-like. So much so, that she doesn’t leave any details to the imagination. Every groove and rounded edge is perfect, and when it is appropriate, she even throws real shoe laces on at the end to give it that authentic look that so many people love.

If you have not yet gotten a glimpse of Ms. Antar’s footwear collection, take a look at a couple of the pictures below.

New York, NY – 800 pounds of M&M’s can be found at Elliot Stevens, located inside the famed Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue in NYC. But don’t try to eat any, because even though they look good enough to eat they are actually a sculpture made of Yule marble (28″h x 15″w x 20″ d), carved by Brooklyn artist Robin Antar.

The 800 pound bag of M&M’s took artist Antar a year to sculpt and polish to perfection. It sits on a base measuring 18” high by 15” wide by 20” deep.

The contemporary sculpture is for sale, along with the artist’s other pieces of iconic American products that look so real, the result is a staggering and challenging trompe l’oeil for the viewer: is it a sculpture, or is it the real thing?

They include carved marble life-like sizes of a tube of Crest® toothpaste, a bag of Milano® cookies, and a pair of boxing gloves (carerra marble). Additional works in her collection include a Skechers’ logger boot, a pair of Diesel jeans and jacket, a bottle of Heinz® Ketchup, a bottle of Chateau Haut-Brion champagne, & much more.

This collection of modern sculptures are among the many icons of American culture that comprise the unique works of NY artist Robin Antar, recipient of numerous awards including: the NYC  Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, the Gold Medal of Honor from The Allied Artists of America (for Milano® cookies) and recently the Gretchen Richardson Award for carved sculpture from the National Association of Woman Artists, NYC. In addition to these awards, Antar was also named in the Best of American Sculptors 2007 and 2010 editions.

Last month Ms. Antar recently sold her collection of sculpted “footwear” to Atlanta-based collector and philanthropist Todd Zeldin for an undisclosed amount.

This mother of three sculpts visual duplications of the products of our culture in her studio, where one will find thousands of pounds of raw rock awaiting her transformation. 

Antar’s works have appeared in exhibitions at museums, galleries, corporate offices and universities, ranging from the City Museum in St. Louis, to the Nabisco Corporation Gallery, to New York University and the Madison Avenue windows of men’s retailer, Paul Stuart.  She has appeared on HGTV’s That’s Clever, where she transformed a block of stone into a life-like boot.

Elliot Stevens is located at the Waldorf Astoria, 301 Park Avenue at 49th Street in NYC. For additional information consumers may call the store at 212-355-8333.

(cityofsculpture.org)

IceFest, which is predominantly recognized by its display of modern ice sculptures, is making its return to Hamilton, Ohio in the winter of 2011 (Jan. 21, 22) after a 3 year hiatus. During this 2-day winter festival, there is an ice sculpting competition, which many people show a lot of interest in. In fact, in 2008 IceFest had an estimated 30,000 attendees, due in large part to the ice sculpting competition.

Every year, a committee decides on a theme for the ice sculpting competition, which the sculptors must adhere to. In 2008, the theme was “Animal Kingdom in Ice,” which meant that sculptors had to choose an animal from the animal kingdom and sculpt it. Of course with all of the talented contemporary artists, there were a lot of great exhibitions that viewers truly enjoyed.

For the upcoming competition, the theme is “Great Books in Ice.” A few people have already come up with ideas of books they can use, but there are still a bunch of ideas that need to be suggested. Some books make for a great ice sculpture, while others do not. For example, “‘The Sword in the Stone’” is wonderful, but ‘A Tale of Two Cities?’ Not so much,” according to Sue Samoviski, who is the secretary for the City of Sculpture, which is in charge of the festival.

If you have any ideas of books that would make for a great ice sculpture, you can send your ideas to: hamiltonohio
cityofsculpture@fuse.net. Who knows? Maybe your suggestion will lead to the winning ice sculpture.

buxtonfringe.org

If you live in the UK, and you are a lover of fine art and contemporary sculpture, then the Buxton Festival Fringe is something that you want to be a part of. Going into its 31st year of existence, the Buxton Festival Fringe is an open arts festival that takes place for two weeks in July. Other than modern sculpture and other forms of still visual artistry, this festival features comedy, dance, music, films, and puppetry; just to name a few.

Most recently, this festival’s main pull – at least amongst its attendees – is the art and craft extravaganza. This year it is going to be featuring its largest group of sculptors and artists to date, as there will be over 60 professional art exhibitors.

Amongst the professional artists is going to be Andy Oldfield, a well-established stone carver who appeared on the show “Mastercraft” earlier this year. On the show, Oldfield taught 3 aspiring art students the craft of working with stone, and he guided them on the design of a sundial. In fact, the student that did the best out of the 3 did so well that his design has a permanent home in the garden of Hardwick Hall.

During the festival, Oldfield is prepared to exhibit some of his wonderful stone carvings which include: Stone benches, stone tables, and stone sculptures.

If you are interested in attending this free festival, visit www.peakdistrictproducts.co.uk for more information.

(newrichmond-news.com)

Becky Olson, a high school art teacher in Wisconsin, is known for her creativity and her ability to think outside of the box. This recently came into play, as she decided that a few of her students should be completely responsible for erecting a 12-foot steel Spartan sculpture in front of Somerset High School.

When Olson received approval from school officials in January 2009, she told her students to begin right away because she wanted to have it finished by this year’s graduation.

Countless hours of hard work and dedication went into the sculpture by 5 independent-study students, and as fate would have it, it was ready just in time for the 2010 graduation. Although it was ready by the target date, the students used almost all of the time allotted to them, as they were still putting the final touches on the project two days before graduation.

On graduation day, tons of people marveled at the new Spartan sculpture in front of the high school, and when they were informed that it was a student-only project, they were blown away with amazement.

Even though the sculpture is done from a structural standpoint, Olson wants to add some more detail to it over the summer. She thinks that grinding and sand blasting it will leave it with a rusted look, which would give it a “warrior-type feel.”

Overall, Olson is proud of her students, and she feels that this project will show many people the capability that kids have if they put their effort into achieving a common goal. And when you have results like her students had, you can’t really argue with her.

(Rantar.com)

Brooklyn’s very own award-winning stone sculptor and artist Robin Antar recently had some of her work purchased by the Atlanta-based collector and philanthropist Todd Zeldin.

Zeldin is known in the Atlanta area as an avid art collector, and he collects and sells art in order to support the arts community in Atlanta. By purchasing Ms. Antar’s sculptures, Zeldin has shown that he believes in the type of work that she is doing, and he feels that it will be received well by the people of Atlanta. After all, Zeldin is no stranger to collecting art, and he knows good art when he sees it.

Specifically, Zeldin showed an interest in Ms. Antar’s “footwear” collection, as he bought 10 of her “footwear” pieces. Out of the 10 pieces, 4 of them were original works, while the other 6 were reproductions. The following is a list of some of the pieces that he bought:

Work boot with rivets medium brown, 2009, limestone and custom made oil stains,

6.5”h X 11.25”w X 4.5”d,

Work boot with rivets dark brown, 2010, limestone and custom made oil stains,

6.5”h X 11.25”w X 4.5”d,

Boot 4, 1998, limestone and oils, 6.5”h X 11.25”w X 4.5”d,

Loafer, 1999, [stone] sylvio occhio’s di tiger and oil stains, 3”h X 10”w X 3”d,

Limited Edition Reproductions:

one brown work boot, 2005, cast of an original stone carving, resin and custom made stains, 6.5”h X 11.25”w X 4.5”d

4 riding boots, red, yellow, black and brown 2006, cast of an original stone carving, resin and auto body paint, 13”h X 12”w X 6”d

one colored work boot, 2005, cast of an original stone carving, resin and auto body paint, 6.5”h X 11.25”w X 4.5”d

NYC, NY – The 121st Annual Show of  the National Association of Women Artists   (www.nationalartsclub.org <http://www.nationalartsclub.org/> ) awarded Brooklyn sculptor Robin Antar the Gretchen Richardson Award for carved sculpture.  Her work is featured among many local artists at an exhibition at The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South in New York City,  through June 27, 2010 .

Ms. Antar, whose sculptures have graced the display windows of Paul Stuart’s flagship NYC Madison Avenue store, won the award for her life-like and life-sized work boot, carved out of limestone, stained with oils (6.5” x 11.5” x 4.5”).  Ms. Antar was chosen to exhibit as an award winning member of the National Association of Women Artists.

Antar is known for her realistic sculptures of American culture—such as Oreos, Diesel jeans, and Dr Martens – and was featured on HGTV’s That’s Clever. Her sculptures are a challenging trompe l’oeil for the viewer, often leaving them wondering:  is it a sculpture or is it the real thing?  In September 2007 she was named in the Best of America Sculpture Artists.

In contrast to the order of her home and the gallery-like quality of her living room where she rotates her favorite pieces, her studio houses 7 tons of stone (which spills over into her garage), and the unusual tools of her trade (including heavy drills that seem far too bulky for the slight Antar to lift, much less sculpt with).  Currently she is in the midst of transforming 6000 pounds of stone into a larger-than-life-sized bag of chips (brand to be determined), a bottle of Mustard, a bottle of scotch and a cowboy hat.

Ms. Antar’s works have appeared in exhibitions at museums, galleries, corporate offices and universities, ranging from the City Museum in St. Louis, to the Nabisco Corporation Gallery, to New York University.   Her works were recently seen at the Blue Hill Cultural Center in Pearl River, NY as part of the “Made in America” exhibition.

In June, 2010, the artist sold her work of sculpted “footwear” to Atlanta-based collector and philanthropist Todd Zeldin for an undisclosed amount.  The collection is comprised of four original works and 6 reproductions. Todd Zeldin is an avid art collector and philanthropist, and is president of ACG Professionals based in Atlanta, GA.  He collects and sells art in order to support the arts community of Atlanta.

The mission of the National Arts Club is to stimulate, foster and promote public interest in the arts and educate the American people in the fine arts..

The National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) was founded in 1889, and is the oldest professional women’s fine arts organization in the United States. Through its exhibitions, programs and archive, NAWA fosters awareness of the monumental contributions of women to the history of American art.

Note to Media:  Photos and demos of Ms. Antar’s work, as well as interviews are available contact Antar Studios Inc. at Robin@rantar.com

(Hurriyetdailynews.com)

Andrew Rogers is a famous Australian stone sculptor. However, unlike most stone sculptors, Rogers’ sculptures cannot be fully enjoyed by going to an exhibit at an art museum. Rather, Rogers’ works of art are designed to be seen from very far distances. If you are questioning what “very far distances” are, think like “outer space” far.

Rogers’ latest project, which recently opened in Cappadocia, Turkey, is called “Time and Space.” Rogers chose to give it that name because he believes that it will establish a bridge between the past and the future. This project took over 3 years to complete, and it required 11,000 tons of stone and the help of 230 people.

Of course, as you would expect, this extremely dedicated project was honored by regional authorities, as they truly appreciated all of the hard work and planning that went into this 3-year monstrosity. And believe it or not, they probably don’t even know the half of it.

Everything from the deeper meaning behind the stone sculptures to the choice of specific stones to use, Andrew Rogers planned out each little step from A-Z, and he and his group of people carried it out to near perfection.

“I attach a lot of importance to natural and historical tissue in places where I work. This is why I pay attention to reflecting the features of the region. Stones that I use in my sculptures are convenient for the fabric of the area. This is a very important factor,” he said.

By dedicating so much time and effort on this amazing work of art, Rogers has assured himself a spot as one of the most influential people in the modern-day history of Turkey.

Isn’t it amazing what you can do with a whole lot of a stone and a little bit of creativity?

Losing a child to a deadly disease is something that is very difficult for any parent to deal with. John Storojev, a California sculptor who lost his daughter to cancer in 2002, decided to use his expertise in sculpting to help keep her memory alive.

Storojev, who has created many different stone sculptures over the years, can have many of his works found in libraries in the Westlake Village area. Because Storojev’s sculptures always have a peaceful theme, libraries were the perfect place for these works of art.

The sculpture that he created of his daughter, Jennifer, can actually be found in the lobby of a cancer research library in the Wellness Community of Westlake Village. In addition to giving them his daughter’s sculpture, Storojev helps out at the Wellness Community where he gives free sculpture lessons to anyone who has an interest.

“I think it’s time to open up a new chapter in my life,” Storojev said. “I want to concentrate on my art, help the community in terms of art awareness, hopefully get some interesting commissions so I can continue my art.”

Although the pain of losing his daughter may never subside, Storojev has shown incredible resolve and persistence since her passing. His ability to continue contributing to the community has truly been an inspiration to all, and he has shown many people the importance of using every day to its fullest.

At the age of 71, there is no telling how much longer Storojev will continue to create his wonderful sculptures. However, one thing is certain: He has definitely left his mark for many years to come, and he will not be forgotten in the Westlake Village community.