[image 1]NVC hosted acclaimed sculptor and Olympian Peter Schifrin on March 17-18, whose large-scale sculptors in bronze are displayed in private and public commissions from coast to coast, including for an art exhibit at the 2012 London Olympics.
For about two days, Schifrin talked with students about his artwork which primarily includes sculpture, paintings and poetry.
[image 2]For a little more than a decade, Schifrin was director of the School of Fine Art Sculpture at the Academy of Art University, where he is currently a faculty member. Schifrin is a member of the International Sculpture Center and was voted into the National Sculpture Society as a ‘Fellow’ in 2011.
At the artist talk on the evening of March 18, Schifrin told the audience what gives him inspiration and motivates him to create his art. He said as a teenager, his mother died of breast cancer and his ex-wife, close friend and father also passed away. He said while he fears death, he’s learned that fear also blocks love and he has chosen not to embrace fear or be paralyzed by it.
[image 3]Schifrin, who was a fencer for 12 and a member of the U.S. men’s fencing team, hopes his work can transcend language and teach people that whatever life throws our way, there’s always a “gift” to be had. He often reminds people of this by giving them hand-made metal coins that say gift on each side.
“When we take everything seriously, we don’t take risks. We have to learn to play.” he said.