Gilroy Roberts: Mastering a Craft Exhibit
“There’s just as much romance in art as people think there is. I don’t think there’s anything on earth that can match the satisfaction of using your skills and imagination to produce something that you feel is right.”
—Gilroy Roberts
The treasures in this 1,000 square foot exhibit span Roberts’ career, walking you through the life of a highly accomplished artist that documented and created history.
You will explore Roberts’ creative processes and methods through displays of plaster molds of coins, medallions and plaques, along with the resulting finished artwork. Special attention is paid to the evolution of the Kennedy half dollar, of which 4.1 billion coins have been struck since 1964. Included in the exhibit is a dioramic representation of his home studio, featuring his tools, some of which were handmade, complete with the magazines he kept as inspiration, and an engine he used for engine-turned engraving.
Also on display are stamps from the Famous Americans Commemorative Postage Series, produced in 1940 while Roberts worked for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; and The Great American Eagle sculpture he designed while working at The Franklin Mint, a position he took after resigning as chief engraver. Additional works include animal sculptures and series featuring U.S. Presidential coins, bird medallions and the signs of the zodiac.