The Animal Sculptures Project by Adam Henry

When Adam Henry walked into the Columbia Pike studio on Nov 16, 2023, he looked around. First he said, “Who was going to tell me this was here?” So we, Loulou and I, introduced ourselves and started to chat. We told him we had opened this location a month ago. But the question still lingered. After all, the Studio has been around for 11 years…

He was excited by the open space he saw and all the art all around. He said he would love to get the chance to create large, life-size sculptiures of animals at the Columbia Pike studio. He lived in an apartment and there was no space for him to create the creatures he imagined, in real size. We understood totally, as both of us are artists who live in small spaces. But Loulou and I did not make large sculptures so it wasn’t the same.

“It would be so cool for all these people walking by to see my work and stop in to chat,” he said. His sculptures were stunning, made from recycled cardboard covering steel or wood framing. But the finish was metallic and so everyone wondered what they were made of. So we invited him to be our artist in residence and create the animals he so longed to bring to life. By December 8, we had officially signed him up. But he had already changed the way we thought about what we could do here and what the Studio could be for artists.

When he decided to do the Animal Sculpture Project, I invited him to write with me. We wrote down our ideas:

Sush: Very often, children encounter wild animals as stuffed toys, in cartoons, or in movies and TV shows. What they learn about the animal is not often true to the real wild animal. Also, having worked on a project about public art in Arlington in 2016, I remember children saying they saw public art near libraries they visited, and how we found that there was no public art in the historic neighborhoods with old apartment complexes. So I am very excited to bring Adam’s animal sculptures to these communities. I look forward to how this project would excite him and the children we work with at the two Studio locations. I wonder how they will feel and what new learnings will come from it. I can’t wait to have him bring a favorite thing from my childhood — wildlife — to life for the children I work with!

Adam: Certain animals have a presence. They not only inspire Awe and Respect, but they also have a mysterious aspect that can touch the emotions such as fear and intimidation, among others.

Our project is designed to not only make people aware of the characteristics and attributes of the “subjects” of the sculpture/art but also how those same traits apply to us as humans and how they can also affect our everyday lives and decisions. From start to finish the projects are designed to include information about every aspect of the created art piece. From framing and research to finalization. The aim is to keep people intrigued and inspired to want to not only see the final outcome in a step by step or stage by stage process, but also, be visually, verbally, and physically involved in the planning, development, and actual construction of the final piece. Viewers are encouraged to write or sketch their interpretation of the piece and how they are affected by the visual, spatial, and even emotional reaction to first seeing the beginning state of the piece and all throughout the process of each stage of production/construction.

We added this writing and photos of the Silverback and its habitat in a handout we created for the Gates of Ballston After School Program. The teens and elementary school students of this program come to the Studio once a month to work with me or another artist who is part of the Studio. We have created a lot of expression and conversations in this unique space in their lives.

This week, when the student groups came to the Studio, they met Adam, saw his work in progress, asked questions, and learned to express through words, sketching, and body movement what they felt and what they learned about the Silverback gorilla. In January 2024, when they visit next, they will see it almost complete and join in to finish it. Then they will get to give it a name. When complete, this sculpture will be moved to the ground floor classroom where the students meet and work. It will be their mascot.