While each of the approximately 20 students in the Rollings Middle School of the Arts class delicately moved their hands, molding and shaping their 25-pound sculptures, one student – Hannah Cook – remained perfectly still.
During a two-week residency by renowned sculptor Julie McCraney-Brogdon, Cook, a dancer at Rollings, sat on a table in the center of the room so that her fellow students could use her as a live model as they sculpted their clay figures.
The students emphasized proportions when sculpting their figures, which stood between 12-18 inches tall.
Kevin Morrissey, visual arts teacher, said that while the students were expected to base their sculpture on the live model, they had some leeway in their interpretation.
“The students are creating their own impressions based on what the dancer may be thinking,” Morrissey said.
While the students had completed one clay project prior to McCraney-Brogdon’s residency, she taught them skills they were previously unaware of, according to Morrissey.
“She is a very successful artist who demands excellence,” Morrissey said. “She has a teaching background so her ability to relate to students is wonderful.”
McCraney-Brogdon said the students did well considering how challenging it is to create an accurate representation of a live model.
“Sculpting the female figure with a live model is a very ambitious undertaking,” McCraney-Brogdon said. “The students are doing a wonderful job.”
Each of the classes McCraney-Brogdon worked with had a different student volunteer serve as a live model and each model held a unique pose.
Although sculpting the figures was a challenge, it was an enjoyable experience, said eighth-grader Jesse Broome.
“It’s been a hard process at times but it’s also been fun and rewarding,” Broome said.
McCraney-Brogdon’s residency was supported by a Distinguished Arts Program grant that the school received, said Meg Skow, visual arts teacher.
“(McCraney-Brogdon’s) knowledge of this medium and her ability to convey that knowledge has taught the student so much,” Skow said. “You can have people that are super talented but unless they can explain their talent, it’s just a demonstration.”

Contact Michael Tannebaum at 873-9424 ext. 215 or mtannebaum@journalscene.com