Steven Whyte

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Whyte with his sculptures of Dublin Soldiers (2019) DublinBestClays.jpg
Whyte with his sculptures of Dublin Soldiers (2019)

Steven Whyte (born 17 March 1969) is a sculptor classically trained in the traditional methodology of figurative bronze and portrait sculpture living in Carmel, California. He has produced many public memorials and installations in both England and throughout the United States with subjects ranging from miners, to soldiers and fire fighters. He is credited with over fifty life size and larger bronze public figures and major monuments including The Silverdale Mining Memorial, The Lance Sergeant Jack Baskeyfield VC Tribute, The Spirit of 1948, and The Dr. John Roberts Monument. Whyte's multimillion-dollar, sixteen-figure monument in San Diego, California entitled National Salute to Bob Hope and the Military is one of his most notable works.

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In 2010, Whyte unveiled a twice life size portrait monument of the 1957 Heisman Trophy Winner, John David Crow at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and a life-size full-relief statue of St. Anthony and Child at Basilica of Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo (Carmel Mission) Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

Whyte's work also includes four life-size figures for a memorial to the fallen officers of the San Diego Sheriff's Department which was unveiled in May 2011. He also completed a nine figure composition for Cannery Row, Monterey, CA, and a life size Jumbo the Elephant for Tufts University, MA. One of Whyte's most complex works, the massive statue for Texas A&M University titled The Aggie War Hymn Monument, has twelve 1.6 times life size bronze figures of students, "sawing off variety's horns". The 10 ft by 39 ft sculpture was unveiled in September 2014, at a cost of $1.7M. In 2016 Whyte was awarded Sports Artist of the Year, sculptor, by The United States Sports Academy and The American Sport Art Museum & Archives. [1] In December 2016 The Smithsonian Institution acquired Whyte's bronze bust of Congressman John Conyers Jr. for the National Portrait Gallery (United States) in Washington D.C..

Whyte was the sculptor for the Column of Strength, San Francisco's controversial Comfort Women Memorial.

Biography

Steven Whyte is a British-American figurative sculptor known for his classically inspired public monuments and portraiture. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has created more than 80 life-size or larger public bronze figures installed globally. Based in Carmel, California, Whyte is a Fellow of the National Sculpture Society and a former vice president of the Royal Society of Portrait Sculptors. His work is featured in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and the Carter Presidential Library.

Early life and education

Whyte was born in England. He was the only undergraduate ever accepted into the prestigious Sir Henry Dalton School of Sculpture, where he studied under Dame Elizabeth Fink RA and Professor Colin Melbourne ARCA. Before graduating, he began receiving high-profile portrait commissions, including Keith Sutton (Bishop of Lichfield), Viscount Blakenham, the Earl of Stockton, Sir John Harvey-Jones, and the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Disturbed by the decline of figurative sculpture in formal education, Whyte co-created the first nationally validated course devoted to figurative sculpture with sculptor Michael Talbot ARA. He taught at Stafford College, where the course became a model for classical training in the UK.

Professional Recognition

Whyte became the youngest member of the London-based Society of Portrait Sculptors and was later elected vice president, serving alongside Franta Belsky PPRBS. His early public works in the UK include:

Move to the United States

In 2004, Whyte relocated to Carmel, California, where he opened the Steven Whyte Sculpture Studios and Gallery. The studio quickly gained attention and became a cultural landmark. Media features included CNN's My City My Secret, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The New York Times in its 36 Hours travel column. After thirteen years in the U.S., Whyte became a naturalized American citizen.

Monumental Works

Whyte is known for large-scale public monuments that blend classical technique with contemporary themes. Major commissions include:

Style and Philosophy

Whyte’s work emphasizes expressive presence, detailed realism, and classical craftsmanship. He is known for blending technical rigor with emotional depth. His sculptures range from intimate portrait busts to large public monuments and frequently explore themes of identity, resilience, and representation.

Awards and recognition

Artistic style

The human form is Whyte's preferred subject, and he typically works with live models whenever possible. His sculptures are ultimately cast in bronze, but they begin as clay.

Steven Whyte describes himself as a "sculptor of people" [2] and although his pieces are reminiscent of classical figures, Whyte chooses to put importance on "the emotional quality and impact of the sculpture" more than the adherence to traditional technique. Whyte intends for his work to have "narrative and tangible personality".

Whyte currently works in a studio that is open to the public. The interaction and response has become a part of his work. “There's a constant energy. It's like when a film actor does theater and suddenly there's no distance between his work and the audience, the response is both immediate and honest.” [3]

Public collections

Public collections (selected)

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C. National Portrait Gallery, London The House of Commons, London National Museum of China, Nanjing, China National Marine Corps Museum, Virginia Carter Presidential Library, Atlanta, Georgia The Potteries Museum, Hanley, England

Municipal collections

San Diego Port Authority, California San Diego County, California City of Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom City of Fontana, California City of Seaside, California City of Monterey, California City of Hollywood, Florida City of Seoul, South Korea City of Dublin, California The State of Florida City of Mobile, Alabama

Educational institutions

Texas A&M University Tufts University Houston Baptist University Furman University Houston Christian University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO)

Public commissions

Religious Work

Five Saints. Five half life-size figures sculpted for niches in the Cloisters on the Platte chapel. Omaha, NE. 2019.

Stewart Morris, Sr. A life-size figure of one of Houston Baptist University's founding fathers. Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX. 2017.

Saint Mary and Saint Joseph. Life-size figures of Mary and Joseph. Cloisters on the Platte, Omaha, NE. 2018.

Mary and Joseph. 7 ft figure of Mary and 8 ft figure of Joseph. Cloisters on the Platte, Omaha, NE. 2018.

Titled Portrait Works from life

UK Busts and Figures 1989-2000

Shami Ahmad - Chairman, Pinwise PLC

Lord Alexander - Chairman, National Westminster Bank PLC

Heather Angel RSP - Photographer, author

Viscount Blakenham - Chairman, Pearson PLC

James Bowman - Counter Tenor, English National Opera

Arthur Chollerton CBE - Chairman, Staffordshire County Council

Mrs. Hilda Clarke - Director, St. Modwen PLC

Sir Stanley W. Clarke - Chairman, St. Modwen PLC

The Rt. Hon. Kenneth Clarke M.P. - Chancellor of the Exchequer

Peter Cropper - Leader, The Lindsey String Quartet

Peter Cheeseman - Director, The New Victoria Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Counsellor Alan Edwards - Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent

Professor Brian Fender CMG - Vice-chancellor, Keele University

Mark Fisher MP - Junior Minister of the Arts

Lord Forte - President, Forte PLC

Richard Giordano KBE - Chairman, British Gas PLC

Sir John Harvey-Jones - Industrialist, author, Retired chairman ICI PLC

Edgar Haber - President, Quail Lodge Resort, Carmel, CA

Dr. James Heron MB FRCP - Chairman, The Institute of Neurologists

Freddie Jones - Actor RSC

Dr. Stephen Lock - Editor, The British Medical Journal

Patrick Moore OBE - Astronomer, author

Jackie Mudie - Scottish International Soccer Player

Lord Palumbo - Chairman, The Arts Council of Great Britain

Rupert Pennent-Rea - Deputy chairman, The Bank of England

Trevor Pinnock ARMC - Director, The English Concert Orchestra

Sir Evelyn de Rothschild - Chairman, Rothschild Bank

John Rudge - Manager, Port Vale Football Club

Sir Colin Southgate - Chairman, Thorne EMI PLC

The Earl of Stockton - President, Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Neal Smith - CEO, The Golf Group Inc.

Lord Sterling - Chairman, P&O PLC

The Rt. Rev. Keith Sutton - Lord Bishop of Lichfield

Lord Tombs - Retired chairman, Rolls-Royce Aero PLC

May Walley MBE - Director, The Bedford Singers

Lord Weathrill MP - Speaker, The House of Commons

The Duke of Westminster - President, Grosvenor International Holdings

Lord Young - Chairman, Cable and Wireless PLC

USA Busts and Figures 1989-2000

Ted Balestreri - Chairman & CEO, Cannery Row Company

Mike Beasley - Venture Partner of Nobska Ventures. Chairman, Rocket Software

Congressman John J Conyers - US representative, Dean of the House of Representatives

Herman "Herm" Edwards Jr. - American football analyst for ESPN and former NFL player and coach

Gustavo M. de la Garza Ortega - Founder and chairman, Marcatel Com

Edgar H. Haber - Founder of Quail Lodge Resort and Golf Club

Secretary Leon Panetta - Director, CIA. US secretary of defense

Sylvia Panetta - Director, Panetta Institute

Sam Linder - President, Sam Linder Auto Group

Burt Mendlesohn - Consultant

George Tanimura - Co-founder, Tanimura & Antle

Achievements

See also

Notes

  1. "Academy's 32nd Annual Awards of Sport Program Honors Accomplishments in Sport and Art – United States Sports Academy". ussa.edu. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016.
  2. Noszlopy, George and Fiona Waterhouse (2005). Public Structure of Staffordshire and the Black Country. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN   978-0-85323-999-4.
  3. Wilson, Ellen (Summer–Fall 2004). "Steven Whyte: The Next Generation of Great Figurative Sculptors". Carmel Magazine.

References

Further reading