User:LSQ

The following is a proposed permanent biography.

Frank Eliscu   1912 - 1996

Frank Eliscu was a talented young artist just out of college in 1935 when he designed and created the Heisman Memorial Trophy; the most famous and coveted individual award in American athletics today. ￼ In later years, of the Heisman Trophy he said,  "It is not my best work but it turned out to be something like the Statue of Liberty.  I always thought it was wonderful that I'll be able to leave something like this behind."

Frank was born in Washington Heights, N.Y. and grew up during the Depression. He graduated from  Pratt Institute in 1931 and from New York Teacher's College in 1942. He received his permanent teaching status at the School of Industrial Arts (now High School of Art & Design) and taught for over 25 years.

In 1935, Frank had a one man show at the Clay Club Gallery in NYC. The catalog had a dedication by Rudulph Evans (whttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudulph_Evans) that was very prophetic. "Frank Eliscu makes his solo debut with youth and the long horizon as his happy assets.  He makes a creditable showing with his present exhibit.  His flexible, versatile talent speaks with freshness and spontaneity through clay, wax, wood, plaster and bronze.  While his work holds due respect for the traditions of the academic, there is however an abandoned sympathy for the contemporary.  A sense of easy composition and a decorative expression is keenly evident in his work...Taken as a whole, there is every promise of a conspicuously intelligent and mature artist.  May the blossoms of today become fruits tomorrow.  Bon Voyage and all good wishes to you, Frank Eliscu."

Frank was an Army veteran of WWII. Originally he was stationed in Virginia working in camouflage and maps for the Allied Invasion. Later he was moved to Pennsylvania when they learned that he was an artist. Soldiers that had been injured in the war and had large burns or missing facial parts were given a new face by the doctors but the scars were made more realistic by the techniques developed by Frank. He was so successful at this that they were reluctant to release him from the Army. He later continued this work at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center where he developed a method to inject permanent pigments to color facial skin grafting and cover port wine stains.. Frank was an officer with the National Sculpture Society in several capacities from 1953 to 1970 when he was president. He was elected as a full member to the National Academy of Fine Arts in 1967. Frank is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in American Art.. Brookgreen Gardens has his Shark Diver sculpture, Sea Treasure, 1964  medallion resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art - NYC. Lewis & Clark Expedition - 28th commemorative medal is in the Smithsonian archives. He was involved in the sculpting of two National monuments: Falling Books (1983) at the James Madison Library of Congress  and Uncle Joe Cannon (1970) a plaque at the Cannon House Office Building

Frank represented the USA with an exhibit for the Mexican-North American Institute of Cultural Relations. The Architectural League of New York was quoted as saying, “Frank Eliscu, one of our sculptural colleagues scored a resounding success for himself, the profession, and our country, with his collection of twenty bronzes, sponsored by the United States Embassy. …excited artists, architects, businessmen, members of the diplomatic corps and everyday Mexican men were invading the galleries. The result not only boosted the United States’ reputation in cultural circles but prompted a nationwide tour of the exhibit south of the border.” 1955 Upon his passing, the National Sculpture Society printed an obituary which sums up the man and his work. "This was the passing of no ordinary man, nor ordinary sculptor.  Eliscu was at home in many media, including bronze, stone, slate and glass.  In all of these were apparent his outstandingly facile draftsmanship- vigorous, nervous, alive- whether used to decorate flat surfaces of his reliefs in slate or wax, or in the delineation of form in his sculpture in the round in clay, wax or bronze.  He was an artist totally in love with his work.  Frank Eliscu was electric, daring and brilliant.  His contributions to his art, the National Sculpture Society, the National Academy of Design, and a generation of students are myriad.  Although we grieve at his passing, we are heartened by the fact that we knew him as long as we did." Robert Weinman, 1996.