Robert Scriver
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" Macfie Scriver (1914-1999) was a Montana
sculptor who was born on the Blackfeet
reservation of Anglophone Quebec parents. Scriver was a scholar of Blackfoot Indian culture and history, and knew and associated with Blackfoot historian James Willard Schultz
in the earlier part of his life.
He specialized in western subjects, but it is more accurate to associate him with the American Beaux Arts-educated sculptors who became prominent at the turn of the 19th century. His first efforts were small inexpensive souvenir wildlife figurines cast in plaster and air-brushed in natural colors. A parallel career in taxidermy and a fondness for hunting supported the increasingly accurate portrayals of these animals.
Entry into a statewide contest for a heroic-sized portrait of Charles M. Russell—a contest he failed to win—provided the impetus to become a "real" sculptor and attracted the support and guidance of Charlie Beil, a noted Canadian sculptor. Both men built foundries and cast their own bronzes, guaranteeing high quality. In the late 1950s the Blackfeet tribe and Scriver conferred about a series of bronzes to be cast in heroic size. These included "No More Buffalo," "Transition," and "The Return of the Blackfeet Raiders," which are some of his finest work. These pieces and others about the Blackfeet are shown in the book called "No More Buffalo." They were never enlarged.
About the same time a commission for five historical portraits of Western men with horses culminated in "Lone Cowboy," which was his trademark work for a long time. In the early Sixties he began to send bronzes to juried
New York shows where they were accepted, earning him membership in the National Sculpture Society, the Salmagundi Club, the Society of Animal Artists and other prestigious groups. When the Cowboy Artists of America formed in Oklahoma, Scriver was invited to join them and then the National Academy of Western Art. With both groups he won top prizes.
In the mid-Sixties the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association commissioned him to create a heroic-sized portrait of Bill Linderman
, a famous champion. This was the beginning of a long association with the PRCA for whom he created many busts of outstanding people. Also, he embarked on a huge project: a large sculpture of each rodeo event plus portraits of representatives of participants, both animals and people. "An Honest Try," a bullrider, became his new trademark and the name of a book about these sculptures. A one-and-a-half lifesized version of the sculpture stands in Kansas City.
At about this time his daughter died of cancer. A commission for a crucifix was followed by a Pieta expressing Scriver's grief. Portraits of his daughter and of the siblings of his second wife were included in this small group of exceptional sculptures.
Somewhat later, coinciding with the opening of many small commercial ceramic-shell foundries that allowed inexpensive casting, Scriver began taking commissions for small sculptures, often on subjects suggested by entrepreneurs, which he sold with the right to reproduce. This was in part because his own health did not allow him to operate his foundry. Later, he found that David Cree Medicine could operate the foundry and that Gordon Monroe could create large fiberglass monumental sculpture. He rebuilt the small original foundry into a huge cinderblock facility.
In 1976 the town of Fort Benton commissioned a heroic-sized bronze group of Lewis and Clark with Sacajawea and her baby. This was echoed by Great Falls, whose group dropped out Sacajawea in favor of York and Seaman, Lewis' dog. By now a protocol had developed to produce small maquettes of the statue and sell them to finance the monuments. Scriver used this protocol to help save a Russell painting of an elk from being sold out-of-state.
The Scriver family's collection of Blackfeet artifacts, which included a gun collection and historic RCMP uniforms, was sold to the Royal Alberta Museum
in Edmonton, Alberta. The insurance valuation of the collections, a million dollars, was leaked to Blackfeet activists and caused a national uproar, because ceremonial Bundles were included. Later Premier Klein of Alberta returned those sacred objects to Canadian Blackfeet.
In Browning, Montana
, Scriver operated the "Museum of Montana Wildlife" and "Hall of Bronze". After the artist's death, these two collections were given to the Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana
. They have never been unpacked or displayed except as loans to other museums. The full-mount animals were put in the custody of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation where they joined many others and are occasionally displayed. Scriver's ranch became a nature refuge under the guardianship of the Blackfeet Land Trust and Nature Conservancy. The shell of the Scriver museum in Browning is now the home of The Blackfeet Heritage Center.
In 2008 the University of Calgary Press published "Bronze Inside and Out: a Biographical Memoir of Bob Scriver" written by Mary Scriver, his third wife of four.
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
sculptor who was born on the Blackfeet
Blackfeet
The Piegan Blackfeet are a tribe of Native Americans of the Algonquian language family based in Montana, having lived in this area since around 6,500 BC. Many members of the tribe live as part of the Blackfeet Nation in northwestern Montana, with population centered in Browning...
reservation of Anglophone Quebec parents. Scriver was a scholar of Blackfoot Indian culture and history, and knew and associated with Blackfoot historian James Willard Schultz
James Willard Schultz
James Willard Schultz, or Apikuni, was a noted author, explorer, Glacier National Park guide, fur trader and historian of the Blackfoot Indians. While operating a fur trading post at Carroll, Montana and living amongst the Pikuni tribe during the period 1880-82, he was given the name "Apikuni"...
in the earlier part of his life.
He specialized in western subjects, but it is more accurate to associate him with the American Beaux Arts-educated sculptors who became prominent at the turn of the 19th century. His first efforts were small inexpensive souvenir wildlife figurines cast in plaster and air-brushed in natural colors. A parallel career in taxidermy and a fondness for hunting supported the increasingly accurate portrayals of these animals.
Entry into a statewide contest for a heroic-sized portrait of Charles M. Russell—a contest he failed to win—provided the impetus to become a "real" sculptor and attracted the support and guidance of Charlie Beil, a noted Canadian sculptor. Both men built foundries and cast their own bronzes, guaranteeing high quality. In the late 1950s the Blackfeet tribe and Scriver conferred about a series of bronzes to be cast in heroic size. These included "No More Buffalo," "Transition," and "The Return of the Blackfeet Raiders," which are some of his finest work. These pieces and others about the Blackfeet are shown in the book called "No More Buffalo." They were never enlarged.
About the same time a commission for five historical portraits of Western men with horses culminated in "Lone Cowboy," which was his trademark work for a long time. In the early Sixties he began to send bronzes to juried
Juried (competition)
A juried competition is a competition in which participants' work is judged by a person or panel of persons convened specifically to judge the participants' efforts, either by the competition's stated rubric or by a subjective set of criteria dependent upon the nature of the competition or the...
New York shows where they were accepted, earning him membership in the National Sculpture Society, the Salmagundi Club, the Society of Animal Artists and other prestigious groups. When the Cowboy Artists of America formed in Oklahoma, Scriver was invited to join them and then the National Academy of Western Art. With both groups he won top prizes.
In the mid-Sixties the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association commissioned him to create a heroic-sized portrait of Bill Linderman
Bill Linderman
William E. Linderman was an American rodeo cowboy who competed on the Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit in the 1940s and 1950s. During his career, he won RCA All-Around Cowboy titles in 1950 and 1953, along with an unofficial All-Around Cowboy championship in 1945; in addition, he earned season...
, a famous champion. This was the beginning of a long association with the PRCA for whom he created many busts of outstanding people. Also, he embarked on a huge project: a large sculpture of each rodeo event plus portraits of representatives of participants, both animals and people. "An Honest Try," a bullrider, became his new trademark and the name of a book about these sculptures. A one-and-a-half lifesized version of the sculpture stands in Kansas City.
At about this time his daughter died of cancer. A commission for a crucifix was followed by a Pieta expressing Scriver's grief. Portraits of his daughter and of the siblings of his second wife were included in this small group of exceptional sculptures.
Somewhat later, coinciding with the opening of many small commercial ceramic-shell foundries that allowed inexpensive casting, Scriver began taking commissions for small sculptures, often on subjects suggested by entrepreneurs, which he sold with the right to reproduce. This was in part because his own health did not allow him to operate his foundry. Later, he found that David Cree Medicine could operate the foundry and that Gordon Monroe could create large fiberglass monumental sculpture. He rebuilt the small original foundry into a huge cinderblock facility.
In 1976 the town of Fort Benton commissioned a heroic-sized bronze group of Lewis and Clark with Sacajawea and her baby. This was echoed by Great Falls, whose group dropped out Sacajawea in favor of York and Seaman, Lewis' dog. By now a protocol had developed to produce small maquettes of the statue and sell them to finance the monuments. Scriver used this protocol to help save a Russell painting of an elk from being sold out-of-state.
The Scriver family's collection of Blackfeet artifacts, which included a gun collection and historic RCMP uniforms, was sold to the Royal Alberta Museum
Royal Alberta Museum
The Royal Alberta Museum is located in Edmonton, Alberta and was named the Provincial Museum of Alberta until 24 May 2005 when Queen Elizabeth II visited, bestowing royal patronage. It has a natural history exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, an entomology exhibit, a Native Culture exhibit, as well as...
in Edmonton, Alberta. The insurance valuation of the collections, a million dollars, was leaked to Blackfeet activists and caused a national uproar, because ceremonial Bundles were included. Later Premier Klein of Alberta returned those sacred objects to Canadian Blackfeet.
In Browning, Montana
Browning, Montana
Browning is a town in Glacier County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,016 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Browning is located at ....
, Scriver operated the "Museum of Montana Wildlife" and "Hall of Bronze". After the artist's death, these two collections were given to the Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
. They have never been unpacked or displayed except as loans to other museums. The full-mount animals were put in the custody of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation where they joined many others and are occasionally displayed. Scriver's ranch became a nature refuge under the guardianship of the Blackfeet Land Trust and Nature Conservancy. The shell of the Scriver museum in Browning is now the home of The Blackfeet Heritage Center.
In 2008 the University of Calgary Press published "Bronze Inside and Out: a Biographical Memoir of Bob Scriver" written by Mary Scriver, his third wife of four.