How does one hire a sculptor?

July 16, 2017 8:06 PM

I have an idea for a large piece of sculpture, but I don't have any of the skills necessary to execute it. What avenues should I try in looking for an artist?
posted by Dr and Mrs Eaves to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Best answer: I would either talk to an art school, or maybe a gallery that has a lot of sculpture.
posted by primethyme at 8:50 PM on July 16, 2017

If you can think of a sculpture in a similar style, see if you can find the artist's representation and you can inquire about their availability for commissions. My cousin did busts and basically just depended on people seeing his work in public installations and contacting his agent to set up new deals. Artist representation is a tough job that requires a lot of hustle - if you find an artist you want to work with, unless they are super duper in-demand it shouldn't be that hard to get in touch about commissions, though maybe not at a price you want to pay.
posted by potrzebie at 9:04 PM on July 16, 2017

The sculptor I knew had a day job making marble mantels and other household extravagances, maybe talk to some companies who do fireplaces.
posted by rhizome at 10:16 PM on July 16, 2017

Best answer: You can go to this site to find an artist, and they will either fabricate it themselves or they will hire a fabrication company to build it.
posted by ananci at 1:17 AM on July 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Emailing the details of the idea as well as an approximate budget and timeline to local universities and / or galleries and exhibition spaces and asking for recommendations should work.
posted by vegartanipla at 4:02 AM on July 17, 2017

Depending on the medium, just heading down to your local machine shop or steel fabrication shop might get you want you want. Last time I walked through the local Van Bebber Brothers Steel shop, with flatbed trailers arriving and leaving with large tanks and sections of pipe and big heavy presses and the hustle and bustle of serious industry, a good portion of what was happening on their plasma cutters was decorative steel work for gates, and for some large scale Burning Man art.

Similarly, if your idea could be expressed in wood, this is the sort of thing some woodworking shops eat up.
posted by straw at 4:01 PM on July 17, 2017 [1 favorite]