Benjamin Victor (sculptor)

Benjamin Matthew Victor (b. Taft, California, January 16, 1979) is an American sculptor living and working in Boise, Idaho.[1] He is the only living artist to have three works in the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. [2] He is currently sculpting his fourth statue for the Statuary Hall, of Daisy Bates. He was only 26 years old when his first statue, Sarah Winnemucca, a Paiute activist in Nevada, was dedicated in the Hall in 2005, making him the youngest artist to ever be represented in the Hall.[3][4] In 2014, his sculpture of Norman Borlaug, "the father of the Green Revolution," was dedicated in the National Statuary Hall[5] and in 2019, his statue of Chief Standing Bear, a Native American rights leader, was dedicated in the National Statuary Hall making him the only living artist to have three sculptures in the Hall.[6]

Benjamin Victor
Born (1979-01-16) 16 January 1979
Bakersfield, California, United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNorthern State University
Known forSculpture
Websitebenjaminvictor.com
Monument to Sarah Winnemucca. Bronze, over life-size, 2005. National Statuary Hall, Washington, DC.

Early life

Benjamin Matthew Victor was born in 1979 in Taft, California. He grew up in Bakersfield. After completing high school, he lived in for a time in Las Vegas, Nevada. He attended Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, studying art and sculpture.[3][7]

Career

Victor’s first work to receive attention was a life-size statue of the biblical character Samson, sculpted when the artist was a sophomore art major at Northern State University. The piece earned Victor a scholarship "in recognition of his aesthetic and conceptual integrity" from the prestigious National Sculpture Society in New York City. At age 23, Victor was commissioned to produce his proposal of a trio of soldiers for the Aberdeen Regional Airport War Memorial in South Dakota.

Victor has completed numerous commissions from city, institutions and non-profits for public art works throughout the West and upper Midwest, often to commemorate individuals or groups. He was commissioned by the state of Nevada to make sculptures of Sarah Winnemucca, a 19th-century Paiute activist, one for installation in 2005 at its capitol and one to be installed as one of Nevada's official works in the United States Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. At age 26, Victor was the youngest sculptor to have a work installed at the hall.

Monument to Norman Borlaug. Bronze, over life-size, 2014. National Statuary Hall, Washington, DC.

In 2016, Judi M. gaiashkibos executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs contacted Victor about creating a statue of Standing Bear (Ponca) for the Centennial Mall at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.[8] It was installed in 2017.[9] When gaiashkibos learned of a plan replace the two statues allotted for Nebraska in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D. C., she contacted Victor again to make another sculpture of Standing Bear.[10] The installation of the statue in Statuary Hall was held in 2019, with gaiashkibos's daughter, Katie Brossy in attendance.[10] Using the surplus funds from those raised to erect the Standing Bear statues, gaiashkibos hired Victor in 2021 to sculpt Susan La Flesche Picotte (Omaha), the first Native woman to be licensed as a physician in the US for the Centennial Mall at the university.[11][12]


Notable works

References
  1. "NSU Employee Directory". Northern State University. Archived from the original on 2010-08-25. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  2. "Benjamin Victor Biography". Benjamin Victor, Professor of the Practice. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  3. "Oilworkers Monument Groundbreaking". The Taft Independent. 2009-04-03. Archived from the original on 2010-03-15. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  4. "Reid Speech at Sarah Winnemucca Statue Dedication". Democrats.senate.gov. 2005-05-09. Archived from the original on 2010-08-17. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  5. "Dr. Norman E. Borlaug". Architect of the Capitol | United States Capitol. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  6. ARDIS, KELLY. "Bakersfield native breaks the mold with third statue at US capitol". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  7. "Winnemucca sculptor selected". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2004-02-10. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  8. Pluhacek, Zach (December 2, 2016). "Sculpture of Ponca Chief to Grace Centennial Mall". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. p. B1, B2. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Klein, John (April 30, 2018). "Statue of Ponca Chief May Be Headed to D.C." The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. p. 6. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Lange-Kubick, Cindy (September 20, 2019). "Chief Standing Bear Takes His Place in U.S. Capitol". Fremont Tribune. Fremont, Nebraska. Lee Enterprises. p. A6. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Johnson, Riley (May 29, 2021). "Statue of 1st Native Doctor Finds a Home". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. pp. A1, A2. Retrieved July 31, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Vanderford, Taryn (October 11, 2021). "Picotte Statue Unveiled". 1011 Now. Lincoln, Nebraska: KOLN. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  13. "Belle Babb Mansfield Dedication". Heartland Connection. 2008-04-25. Archived from the original on 2011-09-17. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  14. "Hoover statue to be unveiled at Smithsonian". aopa.org. 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  15. "Cecil Harris". Northern State University. 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  16. Wells, Aaliyah. "New statue in Centennial Mall honors Chief Standing Bear". The Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  17. "N.C. State University to unveil Jim Valvano statue at Reynolds Coliseum gala - Triangle Business Journal". bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  18. "In This Corner | NC State News | NC State University". 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  19. "Wells-to-do". Reno News and Reviews. 2006-01-26. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  20. "Picotte statue unveiled". 1011 Now. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  21. "Boise State unveils statue of Lyle Smith; Dhaenens glad to increase production". idahostatesman. Retrieved 2018-07-12.
  22. "Statue honoring Marine Battalion Unveiled in Newport". The Orange County Register. 2007-09-09. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  23. "Tribute To Be Semper Fi". Newport Beach Daily Pilot. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  24. "New Statue At Boise Airport". Fox News Idaho. 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  25. "Sculpture Unveiled on August 4, 2007". Redlin Art Center. 2007-08-04. Archived from the original on March 13, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
  26. Curt Elliott (1969-12-31), Oilworker Monument in Taft CA, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2017-06-12
  27. Elliot, Sean D. (12 October 2018). "Academy honors 'father of Coast Guard'". The Day.
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