David Adickes

David Adickes
Adickes in 2015
Born
David Pryor Adickes

January 19, 1927 (1927-01-19)
Huntsville, Texas, U.S.
DiedJuly 13, 2025 (2025-07-14) (aged 98)
NationalityAmerican
Known forSculpture
Notable workA Tribute to Courage

David Pryor Adickes (/ˈædɪks/ AD-iks;[1] January 19, 1927 – July 13, 2025) was an American modernist sculptor and painter.[2][3] His most famous work is the 67-foot (20 m) tall A Tribute to Courage statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville, Texas.[4]

Life and career

Adickes at the LBJ Presidential Library in 2015

Adickes was born in Huntsville, Texas, on January 19, 1927.[5]

In 1949, Adickes travelled to France to study under Fernand Léger. After two years, he returned to Texas and began presenting his work.[6] In 1955, Adickes was commissioned to paint a large historical mural of the city of Houston for the then-new Houston Club. That fall, he was hired to teach in the Art Department of the University of Texas at Austin.[7][6]

In 1983, after being a fulltime painter and art instructor for more than two decades, Adickes was commissioned to make his first monumental sculpture. He created the Virtuoso, a 36-foot (11 m) steel and concrete statue of a string trio. It is displayed in Houston.[8] In 1986, he created Cornet as a stage prop for the New Orleans World Fair.[9] In 1994, he created A Tribute to Courage in memory of Houston's namesake, Sam Houston. In 2004, he created 43 large busts of American presidents at Presidents Park, Virginia.[10] In 2006, he erected 60-foot (18 m) statue of Stephen F. Austin in Brazoria County, Texas.[11] The busts installed at Houston's American Statesmanship Park were created in 2008 and donated to Harris County in 2012. In 2012, he turned his old high school in Huntsville into the Adickes Art Foundation Museum.[12]

Adickes died on July 13, 2025, at the age of 98.[13]

Museum collections

References

  1. ^ "ArtBeat Nation, Season 3 Episode 18". YouTube. February 17, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  2. ^ "Houston artist and sculptor David Adickes dies at 98".
  3. ^ Edwards, Katie Robinson (2014). Midcentury Modern Art in Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 184. ISBN 9780292756595. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  4. ^ Dregni, Eric (2006). Midwest Marvels: Roadside Attractions Across Iowa, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wisconsin. U of Minnesota Press. p. 299. ISBN 9780816642908. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  5. ^ David Adickes Description reavesart.com Retrieved 25 July 2018
  6. ^ a b "One-Man Show Opens at Laguna Gloria Sunday". Austin American-Statesman. May 19, 1957. p. 9. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "TEXAS ARTIST: DAVID ADICKES". Vogt Auction. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  8. ^ Little, Carol Morris (1996). A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 247. ISBN 9780292760363. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  9. ^ Little, p. 229.
  10. ^ Billock, Jennifer. "How 43 Giant, Crumbling Presidential Heads Ended Up in a Virginia Field". Smithsonian. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  11. ^ Warren, Susan (January 18, 2006). "Concrete Cowboy: Sculptor of Tall Art Sets Sights Higher; Texan David Adickes Renders Presidents, the Beatles; Now Aiming for 280 Feet". The Wall Street Journal.
  12. ^ Hlavaty, Craig (June 19, 2015). "Documentary on Houston sculptor David Adickes in the works". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  13. ^ David Adickes, the artist who created Texas' massive president sculptures, has died at age 98
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