1912-02-Improvement Era-A Young Sculptor

Improvement Era, v15 n4, February 1912, pp. 367-369

A Young Sculptor

by Edward H. Anderson

In nearly every New York newspaper recently, also in Harper's Weekly, The Youth's Companion, and other eastern publications, there have been long and flattering notices of the art work of Avard Fairbanks, a Utah boy, son of J. 1!. Fairbanks and Lillie A. Huish Fairbanks, born February 26, 1897, in Provo. His mother died when the boy was only a year and two months old. He is the youngest of eight boys in the family, all of whom were taken care of by their only sister, who was less than twenty years of age when the mother died. The father of Avard, and also his oldest brother, J. Leo Fairbanks, are artists, the latter also being a sculptor.

The buffalo herewith was moulded by Avard and dedicated to the public schools of the United States. Avard has always taken some interest in watching his brother and father work. About the only talent he manifested was his willingness to try. In the public schools of Salt Lake City he seemed to take a pride in the fact that his brother was art supervisor, which appeared to inspire him with a desire to do better than the other children. In the fifth and sixth grades he did some very clever modeling. When only twelve years of age he took great delight in visiting his brother's studio and watching a young school boy, John Snyder, draw and paint. The vacation mornings were spent in this way for Avard Fairbanks nearly a week, when Avard one morning said: "I believe 1 can draw as well as that boy. Will you let me try?" Of course, the opportunity was given him, but he was disappointed with his effort, and said, as a kind of consolation to himself: "Well. I can beat him modeling."

Next morning John saw Avard with a large piece of mud working from a rabbit. It proved to be a splendid model, but it was spoiled in the casting, because the older brother wanted the boy to gain the experience of casting. He cried over the figure, but determined to make a larger and better one, which was nearly life size. It was exhibited at the state fair in 1909.

While the two boys were working at their separate tasks, the elder brother was modeling a mountain lion from a drawing which he had made in the New York Bronx Park the preceding summer. During the remainder of the year Avard was much occupied with play and his school work, but managed to make a few figures and a little relief portrait of his father. The father went to New York in February, and in June Avard was taken to his father for company, and partly to relieve his sister of her many duties. The thought of an effort to educate him in art did not enter the transaction. He was anxious to complete the eighth grade, but thought he might do it in New York the following winter. In New York he went to the Metropolitan Gallery because there was nothing else for him to do. To occupy his time, the secretary of the museum was asked to issue a permit that would allow the boy to copy some of the sculpture in clay. After much pleading, and promises to take the young artist from the gallery if he were not steady and serious, a permit was granted.

There was always a crowd around the youth's modeling stand, and his work was so good that apologies were hardly enough to relieve the secretary of his embarrassment in having wished to withhold the permit. With this success, Avard wanted to go to the Bronx Park and mould the lions that his brother had tried. Here he attracted the attention of the keepers, who secured the sculptors' studio for him to work in. Any animal he wanted to mould would be brought him in a cage. Noted animal sculptors worked in the studio with him, gave assistance, and criticized his work. The famous animal anatomist, Mr. King, became interested in him. Other admirers watched him; and newspaper articles praised him and showed his work. A special scholarship in the New York Student's Art League was secured for him.

At thirteen years of age he exhibited in the National Academy of Design, and at fourteen he has again exhibited. He is the youngest artist who ever exhibited in this exclusive exhibition. This year he has secured another scholarship, and is improving steadily. Mr. Dallin says of his buffalo that he has no criticism to offer on it. The distinction that has already come to him is the envy of many older artists. Tiffany & Company have had some of his work cast in bronze, in order to have the exclusive sale. Gorman & Company, the next largest dealers in fine bronze in the country, have had casts made from some of his other work. From the sale of these bronzes the boy obtains a royalty which is helping him a little, but not enough to furnish him with tin-money he requires, and he is really in need of financial assistance. He is steady, sincere, earnest, and much in love with his religion.