Dick Polich: Transforming Metal into Art

Since the 1960s, hundreds of artists, including Isamu Noguchi, Nancy Graves, Roy Lichtenstein, and Martin Puryear, have worked with metallurgist and foundry owner Dick Polich to realize their visions in bronze, aluminum, steel, and iron. His foundries, first Tallix and now Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry, have produced the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and other public monuments.

Dick Polich: Transforming Metal into Art is the first exhibition to explore this Hudson Valley master's significant impact on contemporary art. Forward-looking and always willing to try something new, Polich has fostered artistic experimentation and innovation for the past half century. The exhibition explores the creative process of sketch to monument through the presentation of major works of sculpture and techniques in industrial sculpture production.

The exhibition consists of three sections. The first interweaves a history of Polich's foundry leadership from 1969 to today with 11 carefully selected works of art that reveal the transformations in style, technique, and medium fostered by Polich. The second section presents an in-depth video documentary about the Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry by artist Stephen Spaccarelli. The third section delves into the techniques and materials of contemporary foundry work. A witty installation by Otterness demonstrates all the steps involved in making a bronze sculpture with Polich.