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Roger Martin has been creating wildlife sculpture in one form or another for over 30 years.  He began as a self-taught taxidermist at 12 and has built a career that has led him to taxidermy work for the Smithsonian Institution and acclaim as a bronze sculptor.

Martin will talk about how he approaches his work at a free gallery talk on Thursday, June 10, at 7 p.m. at The Galleries at the Cabarrus Arts Council, located at 65 Union Street S, Concord, in Cabarrus County’s historic courthouse.  The talk is co-sponsored by the Cabarrus Art Guild.

Martin created Martin Industries to manufacture life-size mammal forms for the taxidermy industry.  He has sculpted over 300 animal mannequins, from deer mice to cape buffalo.  He shares his knowledge by writing regular articles for Taxidermy Today magazine and teaching at state, regional and national shows.  He has won several awards for taxidermy.

He worked with the Smithsonian Institution on the 2003 Natural History Museum’s Mammal Hall renovation, creating a number of the taxidermy pieces.  He has an insatiable desire to learn about wildlife and has traveled the world, studying animals in the wild from the goats and sheep of Alaska to the birds and mammals of Africa, Asia and the South Pacific.

After 20 years of taxidermy, he decided to try bronze sculptures.  The understanding of anatomy and motion he learned through taxidermy is essential to his work.  He says that people are sometimes surprised to hear that he follows the same basic process to shape the animals with both his taxidermy models and his sculptures.

A lifetime North Carolina resident, Martin operates a studio in downtown Albemarle.  He is currently working on a bust of the Duke of Albemarle for the city.  For more information about Martin, visit www.rogermartin.com.

Five of Martin’s sculptures are included in The Galleries next exhibition, Through the Rabbit Hole, which opens June 7:  a rabbit, a turtle and frog, a sheep and fox, an owl and a jackalope.  For more information, call 704-920-ARTS (2787) or visit www.CabarrusArtsCouncil.org.

Filed under: The Galleries at the Arts Council by admin