It was 1972. I was living and working in Rome at the American Academy. I had just written a 3-page letter to Milton Sullivan outlining my ideas for the Graduate Sculpture Program at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Milton had hired me in 1967. He wanted me to design and nurture a larger, more ambitious Graduate Program in Sculpture. He was eager to distance himself from the headaches associated with the administration of his vision. Ironically, he soon became Chair of the Department…and I was elevated to “Head of Sculpture”. My 3-page letter outlined my plans...and concerns…for the Sculpture Program.

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1. I was convinced that the intended program would recruit students from outside SIU’s undergrad program. It was important that prospective students represent a healthy cross-section of attitudes and ideas…and that they be confronted by new challenges. (This was also applicable to faculty).

2. Candidates must visit our campus for 2 days and get first-hand knowledge of the students.  Likewise, the grad student’s assessments of the candidate were extremely important in our decision.

3. The Program would become a 3-year program leading to an MFA in Art.

4. Accepted students would receive a tuition waiver and an “Assistantship”, usually a “half-time”. This put me “on the spot”. In the 80’s and thru the 90’s we had 14 students in the Program…far more than the other Areas. I learned how to ferret out assistantships which had never been explored. It also prompted me to cultivate people in high administration. The Art Department received a finite number of graduate assistantships…far below what Sculpture needed if it was going to grow as I intended. Fortunately, I had the backing of three very important administrators.

5. I wanted permission to leave campus c. 3-4 times a year…ostensibly to give ceramic shell  workshops. However, the real reason was to scout out the seniors in my host school…and recruit the best. It was the best recruiting tool we had. Any money that accrued from my visit went directly into Sculpture’s Visiting Artist Fund.                                

6. I wanted a vibrant “visiting artist program”. The hook would be a cast bronze sculpture cast from a modello that the artist brought with them. Each day of the 6-day visit, 2 grad sculptors would assist the visiting artist for a complete day…all capped by a “gourmet” dinner put together by the assistants who had the visitor all to themselves…often into the wee morning hours. No one else could gain access. Unless an individual worked a full day with the artist…not me, not faculty…no one. After 5 or 6 of these “feasts”, several severe weight gains were recorded. Several of the assistants were hired by the artists…sculptors including Reuben Nakian, Ernest Trova, Red Grooms and John Himmelfarb hired skilled grads to help smooth out technical problems and/or deadlines.  The visitor also gave a free slide lecture open to the public. The SIU Museum received a second version of the sculpture in recognition of their cooperation with funding for the Program.  After Ernest Trova donated a large outdoor piece…and 30 large modelli to the University we encountered few funding problems. We had 53 visiting artists over a period of 12 years. The Program was a huge success...and who benefitted more…visiting artist or grad sculptors is moot.

7. On Graduation Day all the students in the Program cleaned their studios and displayed their work. I invited 2-3 administrators to “walk thru the display”. Often illiterate re “Art”, they responded favorably, asked intelligent questions and several times purchased pieces.

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