Weston Artist Gifts Husky Sculpture to UConn's Coach Ollie -- Jesse Nusbaum Honors UConn Men's Basketball Coach --

WESTON, Conn., Aug. 24, 2015 – Local artist and sculptor Jesse Nusbaum recently gifted “The Husky” to University of Connecticut’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Kevin Ollie at a presentation at UConn’s Storrs campus.

“In recognition of your determination and the team’s perseverance and accomplishments during the 2014 season, I sculpted this life-sized husky head to present to you,” said Nusbaum to Coach Ollie. “It’s unbelievable that in your second year as head coach and first year as head coach in a NCAA Tournament, you were able to lead the Huskies to their fourth National Championship title.”

The custom-made cast aluminum sculpture will be on display at the Werth Family UConn Basketball Champions Center on the Storrs campus.

“I want to thank Jesse for all his hard work and for using his talent to create this tribute to our 2014 championship season,” Coach Ollie said. “The tremendous support of people like Jesse is why I always refer to our fans as family. The sculpture will be a wonderful addition to the displays at our new Werth Family Champions Center.”

The Husky sculpture along with other Nusbaum artwork incorporate realism as the driving force. His sculptures replicate the actual size of real animals. As a result, his clay pieces range from several hundred pounds to almost 500 pounds before being fired.

Once the clay sculpture is completed, the entire process in the foundry takes from six weeks to four months to produce a single bronze or aluminum piece. First, a rubber mold is made for the fired clay sculpture. The rubber mold consists of two pieces and a thick ceramic shell.

Both molds are a mirrored indentation of the original sculpture. Hot wax is then poured into the depressions of the rubber mold and then poured out, evenly coating the interior walls of the mold when dried. From that one single rubber mold, many wax molds can be produced.

Once the wax mold is dry, a thin ceramic shell is applied to each new wax mold. This is done by dipping it into a heat resistant liquid, then coating it with a heat resistant sand or stucco. After the ceramic shell covering the wax is completely dry, the piece is inverted and placed in a kiln at 1800 degrees causing the shell to become strong.

Molten bronze or aluminum, heated to 2200 degrees, is poured into the cavities of the shell. This dissolves the wax and takes the shape of the original wax replica. This process is known as the lost wax method of casting and is preferred by most sculptors who finish their work in metal. After a cooling period, the thinner, protective ceramic shell is chipped away revealing the bronze casting. Sprues, holding the ceramic shell in place, are then cut off and the sculpture is sand blasted. Any parts that were cast separately are welded back together and the surface is ground to resemble the surface of the original sculpture.

The final step is to give the bronze or aluminum sculpture an aged look, known as the Patina process. This is done by using various chemicals and/or an application of a heavy flame to control the lightness or darkness of the bronze or aluminum. The Patina process happens instantly.

Jesse Nusbaum, a Weston, Conn. resident, is a 2013 graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Penn. The school is nationally known for its Center of the Arts founded by the internationally famous sculptor George Rickey in 1953. Nusbaum decided to major in art, where he quickly discovered his passion for sculpting with clay. Additional information about Nusbaum can be found at www.jessenusbaum.com or on Instagram @Jesse_Nusbaum_Art.

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