Creation of Cast Bronze “Amara” Sculptures

By David Shaw

Joseph Campbell once observed:  “The goal of life is rapture. Art is the way we experience it.  Art is the transforming experience. “   Throughout history, artistic expression  in many forms has produced vast benefits for society, and for practitioners via creativity, personal fulfillment, and well-being.   Gerhard Richter famously called art “the highest form of hope.”  And Albert Einstein said this about the art of LIVING :  “The great moral teachers of humanity were geniuses in the art of living”. 

I’m fortunate to be associated with, and inspired by,  many people and organizations that are great artistic practitioners and advocates. One example of this is my sponsorship of the Shaw Family Sculpture Park at the Portland Museum of Art.  And I have sought artistic expression of my own.  This has included filmmaking, music, entrepreneurship, and the creation of sculptures. I was honored to have these accomplishments recognized via an honorary doctorate in fine arts from the Maine College of Art.

An example of my sculptures are cast bronze figures that I have named “Amaras”.  This blog post and video tell a story of this artwork including installations at the University of New Hampshire, the University of New England, and The Jackson Laboratory.