Abram Belskie
Encyclopedia
Belskie was born in London, England and raised in Glasgow, Scotland. At the age of 15 he was apprenticed to a painter and started classes at the Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...
, graduating in 1926. Prize money allowed him to study on the Continent. Upon his return to Glasgow, he opened his own studio. He also worked as an assistant to other sculptors and taught at the Glasgow School of Art.
On November 11, 1929, Abram Belskie arrived in New York City where he was able to secure employment in the studio of the London-born sculptor John Gregory
John Gregory (sculptor)
-Life:When he was about 12 years old his family immigrated to the United States where he began is sculptural studies at the Art Students League in New York City. He continued these at both the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and at the American Academy in Rome. At various times he studied with J...
. For the next three years he assisted Gregory in the fabrication of bas-reliefs for the façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library
The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It has the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare, and is a primary repository for rare materials from the early modern period...
in Washington, DC. In 1931, Abram Belskie moved to Closter, New Jersey
Closter, New Jersey
Closter is a Borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,373. After the turn of the century, Closter changed from being sprawling estates and farms into a middle and upper middle class suburban town...
, where he would remain for the next 57 years. There he worked at the studio of the master-carver Robert Alexander Baillie.
In 1938 Abram Belskie's friend, the renowned sculptor Malvina Hoffman
Malvina Hoffman
Malvina Hoffman , was an American sculptor and author, well known for her life-size bronze sculptures of people...
, introduced him to the eminent physician Dr. Robert Latou Dickinson
Robert Latou Dickinson
Robert Latou Dickinson was an American obstetrician and gynecologist, surgeon, maternal health educator, artist, sculptor and medical illustrator, and research scientist.-Life:...
. Dr. Dickinson had been a pioneer in the creation of medical models, which are used to teach students anatomy, procedure and diagnosis. The doctor knew that the effectiveness of such models relied on the interpretation of a sensitive sculptor. The doctor prevailed upon the artist, and the first fruits of their collaboration were displayed in the exhibit of Maternal Health, located in the World's Fair of 1939
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
. Dickinson and Belskie together created thousands of medical models until Dr. Dickinson's death in 1950.
Belskie also worked with other physicians. Though never a doctor himself, he was a full faculty member of the New York Medical College
New York Medical College
New York Medical College, aka New York Med or NYMC, is a private graduate health sciences university based in Westchester County, New York, a suburb of New York City and a part of the New York Metropolitan Area...
, where he taught several generations of physicians. Abram Belskie was also the first forensic artist, pioneering the field of reconstructing features post mortem.
Belskie began his career as a medallic artist in 1952. For years thereafter he created medallions, many of them medical in nature. In the last decades of his life, he was engaged in the creation of reliefs depicting the signs of the zodiac
Zodiac
In astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
, which allowed him to treat the subjects of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
.
He undertook projects for many organizations. His work can be found in the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, New York City, and the Cleveland Museum of Health, as well as various teaching institutions. He won many awards for his efforts and left a legacy celebrated in the town of Closter which he loved. Belskie died on November 7, 1988.
Belskie's concern before he died was that his works would not survive him. In 1993, the Belskie Museum of Arts and Science was dedicated in Closter, NJ. The museum was founded by the Closter Lions Club to preserve, house and exhibit the works of Abram Belskie. Upon completion of the museum, the Closter Lions Club donated it to the Borough of Closter. The Belskie Museum is operated as a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation under the direction of a six member Board of Directors appointed by the Borough of Closter, the Closter Lions Club, and the Closter Library Board of Trustees. Funding is from grants, memberships, exhibitions and donations.
Memberships
- National Sculpture SocietyNational Sculpture SocietyFounded in 1893, the National Sculpture Society was the first organization of professional sculptors formed in the United States. The purpose of the organization was to promote the welfare of American sculptors, although its founding members included several renowned architects. The founding...
, fellow - National Academy of DesignNational Academy of DesignThe National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
, fellow - The American Numismatic SocietyAmerican Numismatic SocietyThe American Numismatic Society is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins and medals.-Introduction:...
, fellow - Allied Artists of America.
Awards
- John Keppie Traveling Scholarship, Scotland, 1926;
- Sir John Edward Burnett Prize, Scotland, 1928;
- Lindsay Morris Memorial Award, 1951;
- J. Sanford Saltus Medal, American Numismatic Society, 1953:
- Mrs. Louis Bennett Award, 1956; Golden Anniversary Prize, Allied Artists of America, 1963
Collections
In addition to private collections, Belskie's work is exhibited at:- The Belskie Museum, Closter, New Jersey
- American Museum of Natural HistoryAmerican Museum of Natural HistoryThe American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, New York - The Field MuseumField Museum of Natural HistoryThe Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... - Mariner's Museum, Newport News, VirginiaNewport News, VirginiaNewport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
- Brookgreen Gardens, Pawley Island, South Carolina
- Cleveland Health Museum, Cleveland, OH;
- Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. - Jewish Theological SeminaryJewish Theological Seminary of AmericaThe Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
, New York - Park Avenue SynagoguePark Avenue SynagogueThe Park Avenue Synagogue – Agudat Yesharim- is a Conservative Jewish congregation located at 50 East 87th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City...
, New York - New York Academy of MedicineNew York Academy of MedicineThe New York Academy of Medicine was founded in 1847 by a group of leading New York City metropolitan area physicians as a voice for the medical profession in medical practice and public health reform...
, New York
Co-authored
Birth Atlas, 1940 with Dr. Robert Latou Dickinson
Robert Latou Dickinson
Robert Latou Dickinson was an American obstetrician and gynecologist, surgeon, maternal health educator, artist, sculptor and medical illustrator, and research scientist.-Life:...