In this day and age, when one sees beautifully sculpted works of art, he or she tend to assume it was created in generations past. However, St. Louis has an experienced sculptor who has made a significant impact in the art world.

Harry Weber was born in St. Louis in 1942 and has since created well-known sculptures across America — from statues of legendary St. Louis Cardinals players standing outside of Busch Stadium, to an 18-inch maquette of Jack Daniel’s, the famous whisky distiller.

On Wednesday, Feb. 25 and Thursday, Feb. 26, student organization Sculptors at Wagner brought Weber’s creative genius to campus to enlighten students. During his visit, Weber presented students with a lecture regarding his skillset and career, as well as a firsthand demonstration on how he produces his work. Weber also sat in on a figure modeling class and was given the opportunity to directly work with the students.

Weber said, at 72 years old, he has been immersing himself in the world of art his entire life.

“As a kid I had a bad habit of sketching on everything — walls, tablecloths, napkins, anything — and I still do,” Weber said. “I literally cannot remember a day where I haven’t drawn at least one picture, and that [is] still my major entertainment — drawing dogs and horses.”

Following his education at Princeton University, Weber served during the Vietnam War, serving in the United States Navy for six years. While in Vietnam, he spent a year on water patrol and developed a series of sketches documenting his time there. These sketches are on permanent display at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.

During the past 34 years, Weber has created more than 250 notable national art pieces, ranging from busts to larger than life-sized statues. Some of Weber’s most recognizable work includes various sports figures, featured at stadiums including St. Louis’ Busch Stadium,  Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium and Nationals Park in Washington D.C., among others. In 2011, Weber was named National Sports Artist of the Year by the United States Sports Academy.

Weber also has had experience with many historical works of art, including a life-sized sculpture of Dred Scott and Harriet Scott outside St. Louis’ historic Old Courthouse,  a life-sized bust of Thomas Jefferson and a twice life-sized statue of Lewis and Clark for their 200 -year anniversary in 2006, standing on the St. Louis Riverfront.

Weber said when it comes to sculpting, he has two distinct favorite parts.

“The part that’s the quick assessment of the subject matter — getting a quick assessment of what you want done early on [is one of my favorite parts],” Weber said. “It’s really the very beginning and the very end; the beginning is when it starts to take shape, and the very end is when you step back and say, ‘I’m finished.’”

Senior art major Mary Peacock, of Carbondale, said she enjoyed delving into the world of Weber’s work through his lecture and demonstration.

“I’ve always been influenced by the human form, but at the same time [Weber] seemed to take it to a new level,” Peacock said. “He was able to create emotion upon the sculptures themselves. I know I’ve seen a lot of sculptures where you see it and you’ve felt something, but you really get the emotion from his work.”

Weber said as a sculptor, the majority of what he creates is commissioned work, so the subject matter is provided to him. However, the presentation of the subject matter is still very much up to him.

“I start with a lot of concept sketches because a sculpture has to exist in three-dimensional space, not two-dimensional space, so it has to work all the way around,” Weber said. “So before you start, you have to make sure that when people walk around that piece, they are going to have something good to look at all the way around. The other piece of thought in the concept [is] even though I deal pretty much in realism, I consider artwork — particularly three-dimensional artwork — to be so valuable that it should work as an abstraction, even if I’m showing a human form. I like to have the movement be harmonious with what’s going on around [it] — it should be striking as a form in and of itself and not just as a recognizable person.”

Peacock said one of the main things that influenced her was when Weber showed his sketchbooks during his lecture.

“It made me want to go back and look at my older work,” Peacock said. “When I was younger, I did a lot of sketching — I was a cartoonist. I really wanted to inspire that, but it also made me think about how I look at people. In his sketchbooks he said, ‘Go to a bar, sketch somebody out,’ but he would actually have conversations and get to know the person, or even make a conversation up in your head by the way they looked and the way they formed their faces.”

Weber said when it comes to his sculptures and projects, he has many favorites, depending on the topic. However, there is one in particular that stands out in his mind.

“Bobby Orr up in Boston, [was a favorite] because it was so fast,” Weber said. “Normally a life-sized sculpture will take anywhere between nine months and a year to finish — they gave us five and a half months from concept to instillation. It was a lot of work and it turned out great.”

Senior sculpture major of Nokomis, Sophia Ruppert, president of Sculptors at Wagner, said when the art department hosts a visiting artist, they will have both a lecture and a demonstration in order to provide a greater impact on students.

“We like to have the lecture first, that way we get a sense of how the artist works, where they are pulling their ideas from and whatever experience they are going to bring in. It’s a great way to get to know the artist and to know what they are going to be talking about at the demonstration,” Ruppert said. “The demonstration is hands-on; they show a new technique.”

Weber began his demonstration by sculpting Ruppert, who was sitting in a chair in front of him. He was given only a pole to use as the backbone of the bust and clay to produce a work of art. He first began by forming the head and within a few minutes, one could begin to see distinction of the back of the head and chin — nothing close to facial features, but shape could be seen.

Once this was established, he then used a wooden dowel to support the shoulders. After this was in place and the shoulders were set, Weber began to focus on facial features — forming the eyes and forehead first, then moving onto the chin, nose and mouth. A mere 45 minutes after he started, Weber had not only the form, but a good majority of the facial features in place.

Weber said the traditional process of creating one of these sculptures takes quite a bit of skill and patience.

“First step is the sketches. Then almost every sculptor works with a maquette, which is a fancy French word for small model. Since we’re pretentious people, we still call them maquettes and not small models,” Weber said. “So we make a small model, about two feet high. Up until about 15 years ago, we would solve all of the problems — three dimensions and movements — in something that was malleable, we could make sure the 360 degree thing [worked]. Then what we used to do was make a rebar skeleton in whatever size we wanted to make it, pack it with foam and then pack it with clay and sculpt it back. That took two months at least just to set the foam.”

However, Weber said the technological advances of recent years have substantially sped up the process.

“Nowadays, we take that model, we scan it with a laser [and] we take the digital information that comes out,” Weber said. “We then take it, put it in the [computer numerical control] machine and cut out blocks of foam that can be assembled into the statue as big as we want, then pack that with clay and the sculpting takes over. It’s expensive, but it saves easily two months.”

Ruppert said the art department has not brought in a figurative artist in some time, and since many art department students are interested in sculpting, they felt it was time. Ruppert said demonstrations of this sort are beneficial to students in expanding their horizons.

“Our professor has one way of modeling the figure and [Weber is] bringing in a new technique,” Ruppert said. “The diversity of education is helpful because [Weber’s] technique might work better for some students; everyone has a different style and it’s really great to learn new ways to do things. It could really revolutionize the way people work, depending on their previous experience.”

A little under two hours later, Weber had completed the portrait bust of Ruppert and she was very pleased with the results.

“I think it’s real fun; I’ve never posed before,” Ruppert said. “I tried not to look as rigid, because like he talked about the flow and the energy of the human body — I tried just to sit and watch the demo. I’m kind of geeking out about it. I don’t work a lot with clay but it’s really fascinating to see him do it. He works really fast and it’s amazing to see what he got done in such a short amount of time.”

Peacock was moved by Weber’s take on balancing his career as an artist and family.

“His spouse is very important to him. She’s the one who stops him from going too far, and since I have a husband myself, and two young sons, it was definitely inspiring,” Peacock said. “Not many artists will say that — they are very anti-family; they think you’re not going to be successful, and he really broke the mold by having a family and doing this.”

Weber said he hopes students take away the idea that like any other endeavor in life, art takes skill, patience and perseverance.

“Talent is one thing; talent and circumstance is luck of the draw — you were either born that way and where you were born depends on what you can get,” Weber said. “I hope they come away with the idea that it takes a fair amount of time to get skillful enough to create with facility and it just takes that much practice. Also, to give them the confidence that you don’t have to pick away at a piece of artwork; you can move through it. It’s like [how] a tennis player can’t think about the dynamics of a backhand; as an artist you can’t think about making a mark on a piece of paper. You’ve got to let the connection between your brain, your eye and your hand be absolute.”

Ruppert said she learned a great amount about sculpting from Weber’s visit.

“[I’ve learned] to trust your eyes more than you trust your brain,” Ruppert said. “Whenever you do portrait stuff, you think, ‘I’m gong to draw this eye’ but it’s really the whole form and the eyes are connected to the understructure and everything connects together. It’s really been an exercise with the eyes more than the brain; I think that’s what I’ve learned the most — just looking at things rather than trusting your previous knowledge about it.”

Peacock said she enjoyed hearing about Weber’s knowledge of history and overall enthusiasm for this lifestyle.

“His experience in life — he really embraced life in general,” Peacock said. “Maybe it was his background in Vietnam that inspired him to really seek life, but he seemed to really grip it by the horns and [have the attitude of], ‘If you really want something, you go for it.’ He really infused that his wife helped him out and backed him up completely, and I thought that was really cool. He was a really sweet man and he really is approachable and friendly and his enthusiasm is just amazing.”

Layout design/ article by Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com 

Josh Funneman has been performing on the main stage in Dunham Hall Theater for a few years now, capturing the hearts of audiences with his comedic ways. Yet, if it had not been for his eighth-grade crush, this may have never occurred.

“I really got into theater stuff because my eighth-grade play — I had a huge crush on this girl, so I went and did it and I ended up getting the lead role,” Funneman said.

However, for Funneman, a senior theater and dance major from Teutopolis, success did not come as smoothly as one would think.

“The audition [freshman year] went terrible — I had no idea what a monologue was,” Funneman said. “[When] I came into this program, I thought I was talented — [but] I was a really bad actor. I came in the day of the audition, having memorized a monologue from a crappy movie, and I just bombed it — my words just stopped coming out. I don’t remember what shows were on that season, because I didn’t get called back for any of them.”

Theater and dance professor Chuck Harper said Funneman was enrolled in his beginners acting class his freshman year, and saw potential right away.

“My first impression of [Funneman] was he was a very raw talent,” Harper said. “He was really funny — that was clear — but had some issues with focus and honing in on what he was doing. His energy was really scattered. Over the last four years, what we’ve been doing is keeping his sense of humor, — his weird, wacky sense of humor — but to really be able to direct it and use it to maximum effect.”

Funneman said since he already signed up for the program, he might as well give it another try. This second chance came in the form of The Cougar Theater Company.

“That experience was awesome,” Funneman said. “[Theater and Dance Properties Manager] Kate Slovinski was in charge of it at the time and she is a saint. She takes actors like me who had no idea what they were doing, and puts on a show. What’s cool about it is that back then, the company would perform at the Wildey Theatre and children would get out of school to come see us. Kids are the best audience — you learn to get out of your box, to actually do stuff. My next three or four shows were with [Slovinski]  and CTC, and that ended up being my training ground.”

Slovinski, who at the time was production manager of CTC, said shaping Funneman was mostly a refinment of technique and using his strong suits to compliment and strengthen his other, less-prominent qualities.

“His first role was as the Frog Prince in which he had only one line, which was ‘croak,’” Slovinski said. “To begin with, Josh and all of his 6-foot lithe hopping was hilarious within itself. Then the subtext of how he said ‘croak,’ it’s so hard to explain, but he stole the show. To hear somebody say ‘croak’ with such conviction — croak as in ‘No,’ croak as in ‘What?’ croak as in ‘Stop it,’ all with just the word ‘croak.’ To see him not only do that, but pretty much walk away with the show when he was onstage, was when I was like, ‘This is it; this kid’s got the stuff and he’s better than I thought.’”

Slovinski said the next show her and Funneman collaborated on was a children’s melodrama titled, “The Perfumed Badge” and during this process was the first time she saw the true potential of Funneman’s comedic abilities.

“I remember the first moment it dawned on him he told a joke, but didn’t physically tell the joke,” Slovinski said. “I knew Josh was on his way to being as funny with what he said and how he said it, as he was with his movements. I remember that moment and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh there’s a comedian, I just saw it, it’s going to start, and it will start here.’ And that was huge for him and for me. I thought I knew how funny he was but we were just getting started.”

Once Funneman had developed his skills, he decided it was time to try the theater department auditions once again. Funneman said the Theater and Dance Department was quite different from the theater he knew prior.

“It’s insane [on the main stage],” Funneman said. “I came from my high school — our director was a guy who worked at Wal-mart and our stage was in the grade school gymnasium; they fold out uncomfortable chairs and moms are there to see you. But here, the community comes out to support us; it’s insane.”

Harper said the first time he saw Funneman’s full potential was in the play “The 39 Steps.”

“‘39 Steps’ was where he found the kind of role he can just nail — that really played into his comic skills,” Harper said. “I didn’t direct it, but I assumed he would be in it. He was still at that point [where he was] a little bit rocky in terms of his focus and his technique, so it was a really big step for him to get that big of role in one of the faculty shows on the big stage. Coming to see that show and seeing the work he did in it was the moment I was like, ‘Okay, it’s all coming together for him. He’s starting to really put the pieces together.’”

After roles in various other plays during the next two years, it was finally Funneman’s time to shine. This time, it came in the form of a play called, “Servant of Two Masters.”

“That was the best experience I’ve had, ever,” Funneman said. “My favorite moment of [‘Servant of Two Masters’] was one time where the Theater 111 students are forced to come see the show by their professor. I saw one kid with his notebook, taking notes from the show. So I jumped offstage, took his notebook from him and I wrote, ‘The actor portraying Truffaldino is both particularly talented and handsome.’ And I tossed it back to him and said, ‘Put that in your paper and you’re bound to get an A.’”

Harper said Funneman’s role in “39 Steps” solidified his potential in the theater department and proved he could handle larger roles, such as Truffaldino.

“There are people who are good actors, but are they good enough to hold down a show, be the centerpiece of a show? He wasn’t the centerpiece of that show, but the work he did in it was what told me he can be the guy — you can build a whole show around him, which is what ‘Servant of Two Masters’ was,” Harper said.

Funneman has recently expanded his comedic horizons and taken to the stand-up world. He performs at Hey Guys Comedy Club in Fairview Heights most Wednesdays.

“Stand-up is awesome; you get to meet all kinds of people through it,” Funneman said. “I got to perform with Dustin Diamond, Screech from Saved by the Bell, and Todd Bridges from Different Strokes  — like, ‘What you talkin’ ‘bout Willis’ — I met Willis. I think [theater and stand-up] kind of inform each other. I look at stand-up as a play that I wrote. I know what hits and what doesn’t. When you’re actually writing about real things in your life, those tend to be the funnier things.”

Slovinski said the two things one may see the moment that he or she meets Funneman is his enthusiasm and people-pleasing skills.

“If [Funneman] would have a spirit animal, it would be a golden lab. He’s just so sweet and so inviting,” Slovinski said. “What struck me was someone who was willing to pour it all into getting better at this craft and wanted so much to give. I thought, ‘I have to work with this guy. I will find something just to have that kind of energy and enthusiasm;’ I think that’s something we don’t have enough of in this world.”

Harper said he hopes Funneman will leave the university with a greater sense of confidence.

“He’s funny, and I think he’s always known he’s funny and has enjoyed that, but I think maybe he knows now that he can be professionally funny,” Harper said. “He cannot just make his friends laugh, but through his work here and the work he’s started doing off campus with stand-up, I think he knows that comedy is a potential career. I think when he got here he might have dreamed of it in a big, nebulous way, but I hope now he knows if that’s what he really wants, he’s got the tools.”

Funneman said it means the world to him to have been part of this department.

“I don’t care what kind of day you’re having, if you go see a show like [‘Servant of Two Masters’], you walk out of there a different person,” Funneman said. “Being with these students and professors, everyone is so passionate and it’s incredible.”

Harper said Funneman is an interesting guy when he is not trying to be funny, something that happens to be his biggest challenge.

“What do you do when you can’t be funny? How do you deal with a play or a scene where you can’t use humor? For a lot of people, trying to be funny is very vulnerable,” Harper said. “He’s a stand-up [comedian] too and that’s the most terrifying thing in the world that I can think of; I can’t imagine getting up in front of people and either you’re funny or you suck. So, for some people, comedy is a very vulnerable thing; I think, for Josh, he’s more vulnerable the opposite way.”

Slovinski said the biggest legacy Funneman leaves in his wake is how he shows others to follow their dreams.

“Many believe that school is something you have to complete and then begin working toward [the dream],” Slovinski said. “[Funneman], from that really genuine place of wanting to share laughter and to be onstage, he began working immediately with stand-up and continuing with shows. I think that’s the biggest lesson I can say I’ve learned from [Funneman]. Josh Funneman should remind you, your dream begins today — and that’s a great gift.”

Harper said some of the moments he felt he really got to know Funneman were the times standing around talking before or after class.

“He’s funny onstage, but he’s really funny and insightful offstage in a humorous way, just when he’s talking about life,” Harper said. “I’m a fan of the man. I’m going to miss him; he’s graduating and we are just getting to the point where he’s doing great stuff — but that is the point where he should be leaving.”

Funneman said he plans to stay in the St. Louis, Mo. area, audition around and perfect his stand-up performances.

“There is a girl who books comics and showed interest in working with me, so I’ll see if we can do something with that,” Funneman said. “Stand-up is something that I can pick when I’m performing. I’m still going to act as much as I can, but you have to audition and this and this. Stand-up, I can just go onstage and perform.”

Slovinski said as the end of his senior year draws near, she cannot wait to see what is next for Funneman.

“It doesn’t matter how great his career will become — he will never be the person that won’t give an autograph, won’t give a hug, won’t go back to where his family is from,” Slovinski said. “I don’t see, as powerful as the world can be in making us a little less warm, I just don’t think the world can make Josh Funneman a little colder — it’s just not in his nature. He’s the kind of person where when you hear his voice or see his name, you can’t wait to see what’s next. I’m just happy to know him.”

Funneman said acting has given him something he can be proud of for years to come.

“I got through high school with bad grades and thought, ‘This is something I’m good at,’ even though I wasn’t — but now I actually am,” Funneman said. “I think it just comes naturally to me; I’ve been making people laugh my whole life. Any time you can get me in front of people to do my thing, I eat it up. Personally, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Layout design/ article by Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com