Alumnus sculpts public statue of historical figure

Jon Hair (CCAD, '76-’78) has sculpted a 12-foot granite statue of Martin Luther that is being dedicated Saturday, Oct. 9 on a North Carolina college campus.

Hair's project began with a 36-inch tall clay maquette as a guide to sculpting the full-size stone statue of the religious leader. Molds of the preliminary scale model then were made in order for a plaster casting of the piece to be poured, which served as a guide to sculpt the final piece.

The statue, a gift from a Charlotte, NC philanthropist, will be placed on a pedestal in front of Shaw Plaza, the highest point on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Hair began his sculpting career in 1999 and has since completed 30 major public art commissions, including a 35-foot bronze and steel monument in front of the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

More information about the sculptor is available at www.jonhair.com. For additional story coverage go to LRU News.