Douwe Blumberg

Last updated
Douwe Blumberg
Douwe blumberg.jpg
Born (1965-01-30) January 30, 1965 (age 57)
Education University of Southern California, Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts
Known forSculpture
Notable work
America's Response Monument, Flight 5191 Memorial
Spouse(s)Marci Blumberg
AwardsADEX design award; Leonard J. Meiselman Sculpture award
Website Douwe Studios

Douwe Blumberg (pronounced "Dow", born January 30, 1965) is a bronze sculptor who is most well known for his statue of a special forces soldier on horseback commemorating Special Forces operations in Afghanistan during the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom. He has received more than 200 commissions and a number of awards since becoming a sculptor in 2000. He attended the University of Southern California and studied at the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts. He was a horse trainer for 18 years before he became a sculptor. [1]

Contents

Personal life

Blumberg was born in Los Angeles, California. [2] His grandparents hid a Jewish family in their home in Arnhem, The Netherlands, during the Nazi occupation. When the Germans discovered their hiding place, Blumberg's grandfather was sent to Dachau, where he was murdered. His father and his brothers served in World War II. His family's experiences were the foundation of a history in military history. [3] Both of his parents were talented amateur artists. They raised their children in a home without television and focused on history, education, and formal and informal art education. [4] At Beverly Hills High School, he took metal shop taught by a former machinist's mate where he learned to weld, cast, make molds. He grew up riding horses and became an assistant trainer at age 15. [3]

His family hired woodcarver James Conrad Dallas as a private tutor, which turned into a 35 year long relationship. Blumberg spent several years in Europe as a youth where he learned about Western artistic traditions. [1]

He studied four years of sculpture, metal working, and jewelry while studying at Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts, attending the University of Southern California at the same time. He then became an apprentice at an art foundry where he learned how to cast bronze sculptures. [4] After graduating from college, he bought a stable in Los Angeles and became a professional horse trainer. When he decided to become a sculptor full time, he moved to Northern Kentucky in 2001 where he has a studio. [5] He is married to Marci Blumberg and between them they have four daughters. [6]

Professional career

Blumberg puts the finishing touches on the clay model of the Horse Soldier Sculpture before the bronze work is begun. Douwe Blumberg working special forces sculpture.JPG
Blumberg puts the finishing touches on the clay model of the Horse Soldier Sculpture before the bronze work is begun.
Blumberg was inspired by photos of Task Force Dagger on horseback in the Dari-a-Souf Valley, Afghanistan in October 2001. US soldiers on horseback 2001 Afghanistan.jpg
Blumberg was inspired by photos of Task Force Dagger on horseback in the Dari-a-Souf Valley, Afghanistan in October 2001.

Hailed as “America’s finest sculptor” by then-Vice President Joe Biden during his dedication speech for New York City’s “America’s Response Monument”, Blumberg did not originally envision an artistic career for himself. [7] For thirteen years after graduation, he pursued a career as a professional horse-trainer at his ranch in Los Angeles. After finishing his education he became a professional horse trainer. He purchased a barn outside Los Angeles and built up a successful business training show horses and started a family. After several years he slowly began to sculpt again part-time. He began accepting commissions and after 18 years training horses, on one weekend he collected a check for $600 for horse training and another check for $6000 for a sculpture. At that point he decided to pursue sculpting. [6] He closed his barn in 2000 and pursued sculpture work full-time. [4]

His background and interest in horses and a personal interest in military history gave him a unique expertise. In late 2001, he was moved when saw a photo of the U.S. Special Operations forces horseback riding into battle in the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom. [3]

I was just blown away by the image of this 21st-century high-tech soldier on what could have been a 15th-century Afghan horse. It was iconic and ironic at the same time, on so many levels. First, the adaptability of these guys–they weren’t trained on horseback. They just climbed up and went–the first Americans to ride into combat on horses in over 50 years. So I see this picture and said, 'I have to do this.' [3]

Blumberg decided to create a statue marking the singular event. Over nine months at his own expense he completed a 18 inches (460 mm) tall bronze sculpture of a Green Beret riding an Afghan horse. [8] The idea gathered attention and support.

A group of Wall Street bankers who lost friends and co-workers in the 9/11 attacks funded the monumental bronze statue. [9] America's Response Monument was dedicated on October 19, 2012 to the memory of the special forces [10] by General John Mulholland, Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Special Forces Command. It was placed in front of One World Trade Center across from Ground Zero and 9/11 Memorial.

Commissions

In 2011, Blomberg was selected from among over 200 other artists and won the commission for the Nevada State Veterans Memorial. It includes 18 large bronze figures. [11] He was chosen from among 49 other applicants to construct a memorial to the victims of the crash of Flight 5191 at Blue Grass Airport on August 27, 2006. [12] He was selected by the Special Forces Association, the Foundation for U.S. Historical Monuments, and Special Operations Association to sculpt the new a life-and-a-half scale U.S. Army Special Forces Monument to be placed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and Washington D.C. [1] [12] Other commissions he has received include "The Birds of Valencia," a 17-foot tall flock of birds for the Intertex Companies in Los Angeles, which was placed at the Bridgeport Marketplace shopping center in Valencia, California. [13]

He has received commissions to create a life-size herd of wild horses for the city of Aurora, Colorado, a large outdoor musical piece for the performing arts center in Lebanon, Kentucky, a new monument at the entrance to the Vance Brand Airport in Longmont, Colorado, [6] a life-size monument for the Kentucky State Fair and Exposition Center, the New Jersey Fallen Soldiers Monument to be placed at Picatinny Arsenal, a large commission for the American Saddlebred Museum, and the Bahrainian embassy in D.C. [1] Other monument commissions include: Reflections, William Shatner residence 2006; Way of Horse and Bow, William Shatner residence 2014; Safekeeping, Royal residence in Dubai, UAE 2005; Ode to Joy, San Francisco 2013; Ascension, Charleston 2015.

Recognition

Blumberg has completed more than 200 private and public commissions and received a number of awards [4] since he opened his studio full-time in 2000. [2] He was recognized with the 2002 Leonard J. Meiselman award in Sculpture from the American Academy of Equine Artists, the 2003 Loveland sculpture invitational, the 2003 ADEX design award. [6]

In 2003 he received a commission from William Shatner for a statue that became the "Way of Horse and Bow", featuring a Samurai warrior on horseback. The original is displayed in front of Shatner's personal residence along with two other works by Blomberg. Shatner donated a second, 200-pound bronze replica of the "Way of Horse and Bow" to the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. [14] Blomberg was also commissioned to create a life-size monument for the United Professional Horseman's Association. A smaller version of America’s Response Monument was put on display at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum. [6]

Related Research Articles

An equestrian statue is a statue of a rider mounted on a horse, from the Latin eques, meaning 'knight', deriving from equus, meaning 'horse'. A statue of a riderless horse is strictly an equine statue. A full-sized equestrian statue is a difficult and expensive object for any culture to produce, and figures have typically been portraits of rulers or, in the Renaissance and more recently, military commanders.

Frederick William MacMonnies American-French sculptor and painter

Frederick William MacMonnies was the best known expatriate American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts school, as successful and lauded in France as he was in the United States. He was also a highly accomplished painter and portraitist. He was born in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York and died in New York City.

<i>De oppresso liber</i> Motto of the United States Army Special Forces

De oppresso liber is the motto of the United States Army Special Forces.

Charles Henry Niehaus American sculptor

Charles Henry Niehaus, was an American sculptor.

Pompeo Coppini American sculptor

Pompeo Luigi Coppini was an Italian born sculptor who emigrated to the United States. Although his works can be found in Italy, Mexico and a number of U.S. states, the majority of his work can be found in Texas. He is particularly famous for the Alamo Plaza work Spirit of Sacrifice a.k.a. The Alamo Cenotaph, as well as numerous statues honoring Texan figures.

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial US historic place in Washington, D.C.

The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring American Civil War general and 18th United States President Ulysses S. Grant. It sits at the base of Capitol Hill, below the west front of the United States Capitol. Its central sculpture of Grant on horseback faces west, overlooking the Capitol Reflecting Pool and facing toward the Lincoln Memorial, which honors Grant's wartime president, Abraham Lincoln. Grant's statue is raised on a pedestal decorated with bronze reliefs of the infantry; flanking pedestals hold statues of protective lions and bronze representations of the Union cavalry and artillery. The whole is connected with marble covered platforms, balustrades, and stairs. The Grant and Lincoln memorials define the eastern and western ends, respectively, of the National Mall.

Anna Hyatt Huntington American sculptor

Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington was an American sculptor who was among New York City's most prominent sculptors in the early 20th century. At a time when very few women were successful artists, she had a thriving career. Hyatt Huntington exhibited often, traveled widely, received critical acclaim at home and abroad, and won multiple awards and commissions.

John Cassidy (artist) Irish artist and sculptor

John Cassidy was an Irish sculptor and painter who worked in Manchester, England, and created many public sculptures.

Thomas Thornycroft English sculptor and engineer (1815-1885)

Thomas Thornycroft was an English sculptor and engineer.

Robert Summers (artist) American painter

Robert Temple Summers II, is an American artist, in Cleburne, Texas. Summers, who works as a painter and sculptor, has created prominent bronze works displayed in places such as the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, the Dallas Pioneer Park the Loews Anatole Hotel, Fair Park, Los Angeles International Airport, and Plano Texas' Baccus Plaza.

Eugene Daub American contemporary figure sculptor

Eugene Daub is an American contemporary figure sculptor, best known for his portraits and figurative monument sculpture created in the classic heroic style. His sculptures reside in three of the nation's state capitals and in the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. His work appears in public monuments and permanent collections in the United States and Europe.

Francis Asbury (Lukeman) Statue in Washington, D.C., U.S.

Francis Asbury, also known as the Francis Asbury Memorial, is a public equestrian statue, by American artist Augustus Lukeman, located at 16th Street and Mt. Pleasant Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

Equestrian statue of Philip Sheridan Bronze sculpture by Gutzon Borglum

General Philip Sheridan is a bronze sculpture that honors Civil War general Philip Sheridan. The monument was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, best known for his design of Mount Rushmore. Dedicated in 1908, dignitaries in attendance at the unveiling ceremony included President Theodore Roosevelt, members of the President's cabinet, high-ranking military officers and veterans from the Civil War and Spanish–American War. The equestrian statue is located in the center of Sheridan Circle in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The bronze statue, surrounded by a plaza and park, is one of eighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C., which were collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The sculpture and surrounding park are owned and maintained by the National Park Service, a federal agency of the Interior Department.

Carl Rohl-Smith Danish-American sculptor

Carl Wilhelm Daniel Rohl-Smith was a Danish American sculptor who was active in Europe and the United States from 1870 to 1900. He sculpted a number of life-size and small bronzes based on Greco-Roman mythological themes in Europe as well as a wide number of bas-reliefs, busts, funerary monuments, and statues throughout Denmark, the German Confederation, and Italy. Emigrating to the United States in 1886, he once more produced a number of sculptures for private citizens. His most noted American works were a statue of a soldier for a Battle of the Alamo memorial in Texas, a statue of Benjamin Franklin for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, a statue group in Chicago commemorating the Fort Dearborn Massacre, and the General William Tecumseh Sherman Monument in Washington, D.C.

Angela Conner FRSS is an English sculptor who works in London. Conner has exhibited internationally and has large scale sculptures in public and private collections around the world.

Torleif S. Knaphus American sculptor

Torleif Severin Knaphus was a Norwegian-born artist and sculptor in Utah, primarily known for sculptures for and about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<i>Americas Response Monument</i> Statue memorializing the September 11 attacks and US invasion of Afghanistan

America's Response Monument, subtitled De Oppresso Liber, is a life-and-a-half scale bronze statue in Liberty Park overlooking the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. Unofficially known as the Horse Soldier Statue, it is the first publicly accessible monument dedicated to the United States Special Forces. It was also the first monument near Ground Zero to recognize heroes of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Tina Allen American sculptor

Tina Allen was an American sculptor known for her monuments to prominent African Americans, including Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and George Washington Carver.

Jim Reno (1929–2008) was a bronze sculptor who focused his artistic abilities on western themes and famous horses, such as Secretariat. Reno's most notable sculpture is titled Secretariat—31 Lengths which is on display at the National Museum of Racing at Saratoga Springs, New York. He was also commissioned in 1973 by Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery (Tweedy) to sculpt a life-size bronze of the horse for the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Reno also sculpted Dash For Cash, cattleman Charles Goodnight, Comanche Indian Chief Quannah Parker, and many other depictions of legendary people and horses.

Roger Noble Burnham American sculptor

Roger Noble Burnham was an American sculptor and teacher. He is best remembered for creating The Trojan (1930), the unofficial mascot of the University of Southern California.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Douwe Blumberg". N J Fallen Soldiers Foundation. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  2. 1 2 "About the Artist". Douwe Studios. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "War Sculptor". The American Legion. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Douwe Blumberg". UrbanArt. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  5. "Artist's Statement". Foundation for U.S. Historical Monuments. Archived from the original on April 1, 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Auge II, Roger (10 May 2013). "Horse trainer turned sculptor achieves international acclaim for larger-than-life work". Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  7. "Statue by Douwe Blumberg Seeks Home in Lower Manhattan". The New York Times. November 10, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  8. "Unconventional Work". Blackwater. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  9. Quade, Alex (October 27, 2011). "Commando monument near ground zero unveiled on Veterans Day". Washington Times. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  10. "Report: Veterans Day, 2011". November 12, 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  11. "Las Vegas Veterans Memorial". MuseumWithoutWalls. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  12. 1 2 Blackford, Linda B. (28 August 2011). "Flight 5191 Memorial: The story behind a sculpture of remembrance". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  13. Aidem, Patricia Farrell. "Sculpture soars at shopping center site". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  14. "Video-Shatner Unveils Samurai Sculpture". 16 May 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.