264:
105:. He won two federal sculpture competitions by the age of 25. Inspiration that he found in the state and family health reasons prompted him to move to Wyoming in his mid-thirties. He accepted a teaching position in 1947 at the University of Wyoming. Russin remained at UW's Department of Art for nearly 40 years and continued to reside in Wyoming for 60 years. He was also the university's artist in residence for nearly 10 years. Russin maintained several residences, including one in
20:
324:. Russin built the 4,500-pound bronze bust in Mexico during a period of 11 months using some 10 tons of clay in a lost-wax process of casting. Russin cast Lincoln's monumental bust in more than 30 bronze pieces designed to be bolted together. He then shipped the sculpture from Mexico to Laramie. The first leg of the 1958 shipment featured rail travel to
392:
notation: "The State of
Wyoming is proud to honor Robert I. Russin and Adele M. Russin in recognition of their contribution to art, culture and education." The family held a memorial service celebrating the sculptor's life in the visitor center, including comments by the Wyoming governor and state senator and ambassador to Guatemala
602:
133:. His sculpting skills garnered increased recognition, including a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work in Italy and study the Renaissance masters. The New York native continued to return to Italy during his life to "work on projects in the marble yards and foundries there." Perhaps his best known work is a massive
391:
Russin's son, Joe, obtained permission from the
Wyoming Department of Transportation Director and Department of Parks and Cultural Resources to construct a small stone cairn near the Lincoln bust to hold the urns of his father, Robert, and mother, Adele. The stone structure features a plaque with the
319:
However, the travels of
Lincoln's bust began more than a decade earlier and thousands of miles to the south of Sherman Hill and the Summit Rest Area. Russin decided when planning the sculpture that the wild temperatures swings of the Wyoming plains would not provide the stable environment that he
158:
is home to other major outdoor works by Russin, including "Fountainhead" (City Hall); "Man and Energy" (Chamber of
Commerce); and "Prometheus" (Casper Public Library). Russin also won a commission to create the "Spirit of Life" fountain at the
125:
Russin was known for his public sculptures, by one account numbering more than 400 worldwide. His works include bronze figurative sculptures. Russin struck his hammer and chisel to stone, including marble, for abstract expressions.
341:"My dad hadn’t thought about how low the wires were over Grand Avenue. So they had to move it through Laramie really early in the morning and they cut the electric and telephone wires for each block as they went through."
254:
located south of the
College of Arts and Sciences, and a sculpture entitled "The University of Wyoming Family" in Prexy's Pasture, a public commons area located between the various colleges of the university.
331:"The statute came up from Mexico with armed guards from the Mexican Army, because they were afraid that someone was going to steal it", said the late sculptor's son, Joe Russin, in an interview for the
167:, which was officially dedicated in 1967. The "Spirit of Life", which took Russin a year and a half to create, is cast in bronze. The raised sculpture, which depicts two individuals, rests in three
458:
228:. A Russin sculpture of three steelworkers dated 1942 adorns the wall in the U.S. Post Office of the former steel mill town of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Known collectors of Russin's include
468:
388:. Before his death, the sculptor had requested that he be buried near his favorite sculpture, Abraham Lincoln's bust, east of Laramie at the Summit Rest Area and Visitor Center.
308:). In 1969, after Interstate 80 was built, state officials moved the monument to become a centerpiece at the Summit Rest Area and Visitor Center between the cities of
496:
229:
615:
650:
695:
680:
660:
338:
The bust continued its journey north from Denver to
Laramie by truck transport. All went well until the truck reached Laramie. Joe Russin recalls:
640:
510:
160:
50:
581:
670:
655:
685:
381:
199:
675:
268:
221:
141:
66:
690:
528:
304:
east of
Laramie. Russin originally erected the sculpture in 1959 nearby on Sherman Hill overlooking the old U.S. Highway 30 (
665:
645:
213:
565:
250:
campus features many Russin public sculptures, including bas reliefs on a variety of buildings, a life-size sculpture of
183:. Russin also was responsible for the naming of the sculpture. The City of Hope National Medical Center now uses the
45:. He was best known for a number of public sculptures throughout the United States, including the "Spirit of Life"
546:
225:
94:
148:
in
Wyoming. Other roadside art includes his "The Greeting and the Gift" at the visitors' center south of
247:
195:
114:
39:
209:
635:
630:
373:
86:
361:
321:
263:
106:
217:
164:
130:
176:
90:
129:
He won his first major commission in 1938 for two monumental bas-reliefs at the post office in
463:
332:
309:
251:
149:
607:
325:
313:
232:
203:
137:
58:
305:
272:
155:
145:
62:
353:
624:
377:
301:
23:
Robert Russin's sculptures are found internationally, including in his home state of
194:
Russin's other well known pieces include the "Wyoming
Crystal", which stands at the
357:
98:
85:
Robert Russin was born in New York City on August 26, 1914. He received both his
393:
385:
240:
110:
597:
236:
184:
180:
54:
102:
42:
19:
459:"Robert Isaiah Russin, 1914 - 2007 Sculptor made fountain at City of Hope"
297:
46:
35:
365:
344:
An estimated 200,000 travelers view the monumental sculpture annually.
294:
74:
24:
511:"Nicolaysen Art Museum opens exhibit of locals' personal collections"
172:
144:, which was originally dedicated in 1959 at the highest point on the
134:
262:
18:
616:
University of
Wyoming: Retired UW Art Professor Russin Dies at 93
198:, and the "Chthonodynamis", a granite statue which stands at the
369:
293:
feet (3.8 m) high and rests on a 30-foot-tall (9.1 m)
191:
and awards the Spirit of Life award to major financial donors.
188:
168:
70:
320:
needed to craft the Lincoln sculpture. Instead, he turned to
360:
on December 13, 2007. He was survived by his three sons:
279:
Robert Russin's massive bust of Abraham Lincoln stands
533:
by Phil White. Casper Star Tribune. December 15, 2007.
352:
Robert Russin died in Los Angeles at the age of 93 of
34:(August 26, 1914 - December 13, 2007) was an American
571:
by Garren Stauffer. Laramie Daily Boomerang. Undated.
566:"Laid to rest: Artist interred with his masterpiece,"
515:
by Hannah West. Casper Star Tribune. August 8, 2008.
179:. The "Spirit of Life's" outer basin is composed of
564:
208:Other works by Russin are currently housed at the
582:"Sculptor's life and art to be celebrated Sunday"
8:
559:
557:
187:of the sculpture's statue as its official
541:
539:
551:. Gillete News Record.February 7, 2009.
491:
489:
487:
485:
409:
529:"Prolific artist, dedicated professor"
523:
521:
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
441:
439:
437:
435:
433:
267:Russin's 1959 sculpture of Lincoln at
497:"Green Valley News & Sunday News"
431:
429:
427:
425:
423:
421:
419:
417:
415:
413:
7:
586:Casper Star Tribune. July 19, 2008.
271:located at the highest point on the
161:City of Hope National Medical Center
117:, where he lived during the winter.
51:City of Hope National Medical Center
651:People from Albany County, Wyoming
382:University of California Riverside
200:United States Department of Energy
14:
269:Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument
259:Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument
222:Gettysburg National Military Park
212:, the University of Wyoming, the
142:Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument
67:Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument
600:
696:Sculptors from New York (state)
681:20th-century American sculptors
661:City College of New York alumni
140:of Abraham Lincoln, called the
384:; and Lincoln David Russin, a
1:
641:University of Wyoming faculty
547:"Lincoln's legacy in Wyoming"
214:National Naval Medical Center
467:. 2007-12-24. Archived from
300:at the Summit Rest Area on
97:. Russin briefly taught at
712:
671:Deaths from kidney disease
656:Artists from New York City
171:made of a type of Italian
109:; in the foothills of the
686:20th-century male artists
49:sculpture located at the
676:Deaths from hypertension
226:Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
95:City College of New York
691:American male sculptors
276:
28:
266:
248:University of Wyoming
196:Wyoming State Capitol
115:Green Valley, Arizona
40:University of Wyoming
22:
666:Cooper Union faculty
646:Artists from Wyoming
32:Robert Isaiah Russin
471:on February 6, 2008
398:Casper Star Tribune
396:, according to the
107:Centennial, Wyoming
277:
230:California Senator
218:Bethesda, Maryland
165:Duarte, California
131:Evanston, Illinois
29:
464:Los Angeles Times
380:professor at the
333:Laramie Boomerang
252:Benjamin Franklin
87:bachelor's degree
703:
610:
608:Biography portal
605:
604:
603:
587:
585:
578:
572:
570:
568:
561:
552:
550:
543:
534:
532:
525:
516:
514:
507:
501:
500:
493:
480:
479:
477:
476:
455:
364:, the executive
326:Denver, Colorado
292:
291:
287:
284:
233:Dianne Feinstein
210:Hyde Park Museum
204:Washington, D.C.
202:headquarters in
711:
710:
706:
705:
704:
702:
701:
700:
621:
620:
606:
601:
599:
596:
591:
590:
580:
579:
575:
563:
562:
555:
545:
544:
537:
527:
526:
519:
509:
508:
504:
495:
494:
483:
474:
472:
457:
456:
411:
406:
374:Robin U. Russin
350:
306:Lincoln Highway
289:
285:
282:
280:
273:Lincoln Highway
261:
156:Casper, Wyoming
146:Lincoln Highway
123:
113:and another in
91:master's degree
83:
63:Abraham Lincoln
17:
16:American artist
12:
11:
5:
709:
707:
699:
698:
693:
688:
683:
678:
673:
668:
663:
658:
653:
648:
643:
638:
633:
623:
622:
619:
618:
612:
611:
595:
594:External links
592:
589:
588:
573:
553:
535:
517:
502:
481:
408:
407:
405:
402:
354:kidney disease
349:
346:
260:
257:
122:
119:
82:
79:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
708:
697:
694:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
628:
626:
617:
614:
613:
609:
598:
593:
583:
577:
574:
567:
560:
558:
554:
548:
542:
540:
536:
530:
524:
522:
518:
512:
506:
503:
498:
492:
490:
488:
486:
482:
470:
466:
465:
460:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
440:
438:
436:
434:
432:
430:
428:
426:
424:
422:
420:
418:
416:
414:
410:
403:
401:
399:
395:
389:
387:
383:
379:
378:screenwriting
375:
371:
367:
363:
362:Joseph Russin
359:
355:
347:
345:
342:
339:
336:
334:
329:
327:
323:
317:
315:
311:
307:
303:
302:Interstate 80
299:
296:
274:
270:
265:
258:
256:
253:
249:
244:
242:
238:
234:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
206:
205:
201:
197:
192:
190:
186:
182:
178:
174:
170:
166:
162:
157:
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
136:
132:
127:
120:
118:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
80:
78:
76:
72:
69:, located on
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
44:
41:
38:, artist and
37:
33:
26:
21:
576:
505:
473:. Retrieved
469:the original
462:
397:
390:
358:hypertension
351:
343:
340:
337:
330:
318:
278:
245:
207:
193:
154:
128:
124:
99:Cooper Union
84:
57:and a giant
31:
30:
636:2007 deaths
631:1914 births
394:Tom Stroock
386:radiologist
322:Mexico City
241:Carl Reiner
111:Snowy Range
625:Categories
475:2008-01-10
404:References
237:Bill Cosby
185:silhouette
181:travertine
177:arabascato
81:Early life
55:California
121:Sculpture
103:Manhattan
93:from the
43:professor
310:Cheyenne
298:pedestal
150:Cheyenne
47:fountain
36:sculptor
314:Laramie
295:granite
288:⁄
175:called
75:Wyoming
25:Wyoming
372:news;
366:editor
239:, and
173:marble
169:basins
135:bronze
65:, the
348:Death
376:, a
370:KTLA
356:and
312:and
246:The
220:and
189:logo
138:bust
89:and
71:I-80
59:bust
368:of
224:in
216:in
163:in
101:in
73:in
61:of
53:in
627::
556:^
538:^
520:^
484:^
461:.
412:^
400:.
335:.
328:.
316:.
281:12
243:.
235:,
152:.
77:.
584:.
569:.
549:.
531:.
513:.
499:.
478:.
290:2
286:1
283:+
275:.
27:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
