Longtime Chestnut Hill sculptor Robert Rankin, who sculpts up to six hours a day, was awarded the much-coveted Frank Weeden and Vera Weeden Prize for his artwork in a ceremony on July 13 at the Ellarslie Mansion in Trenton. 

“Recognition for my work is encouraging, especially when it comes from knowledgeable jurors,” Rankin told The Local last week. “It’s encouraging because working to communicate my ideas and concepts of beauty can be discouraging when I am alone in my studio covered in clay dust. I lose perspective on my own work. The Frank and Vera Weeden Prize  affirms that my sculpture communicates and touches other people. I am grateful for this generous memorial prize.”

The award is named, in part, for Frank Weeden, a sculptor and businessman who twice ran for mayor of Trenton. He died of pancreatic cancer in 2013 at age 53. Rankin's sculpture is currently on view as part of the Ellarslie Open 41, an annual juried exhibition at the Trenton City Museum, until Sept. 29.

“My inspiration stems from my study of Kabbalah, specifically the ten Sefirots, our spiritual energies of mind and emotion. I call them the angels of our souls,” Rankin said.  (In later Jewish literature, the 10 “Sefirots” refer either to the 10 manifestations of God or the 10 powers or faculties of the soul.)

In the summer of 2023, Rankin was part of the “Altered Realities" show at the National Sculpture Society in Manhattan. “That show gave me the same feeling, that my sculpture connects with other people,” the Chestnut Hill sculptor said.

Rankin, 71, whose studio is on a beautiful George Woodward property near a local horse paddock, has also been showing at the Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show for several years. He and his wife, Barbara Crawford, have lived in Chestnut Hill since they were married 40 years ago.

Those who have commissioned or purchased sculptures by Rankin in recent years are unanimous in their praise of his stunning work. His busts are redolent of classic works of centuries ago that one finds in the world's greatest museums, and other elongated figures have an apparent African influence.

Rankin, who grew up in Mt. Airy, attended Columbia, a small private school in Center City that has since closed, Community College of Philadelphia and then Temple University, but left in 1972 without earning a degree.

Rankin then worked in the financial industry for many years, but when he was a child, he collected and painted rocks. “I could see faces in rocks and also in clouds,” he told the Local. “Since these faces revealed themselves to me, I wanted to share them with others. I still see faces and forms everywhere.

“My mother drew beautifully. She was accepted to Moore College of Art, but my grandfather told her she was needed at home to care for the family,” he continued. “My mother-in-law was also a wonderful painter and an inspiration to me.”

Rankin was also influenced by world-famous icons such as Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brancusi, Alberto Giacometti and Angel Botello. Sculptor Leon Sitarchuk was also an inspiration. Sitarchuk was “a brilliant teacher,” Rankin said. “Leon only commented on the beauty in a piece, never its flaws. I try to follow his example when I view art work and also in my life experiences. His work is in many collections, including Woodmere, but aside from learning technique and being inspired by Leon, I am self-taught.”

In addition to exhibiting at the Rittenhouse Fine Art Show for several years, Rankin has been part of the Yellow Springs Art Show at Chester Springs, and he has shown his work at Borrelli’s Chestnut Hill Gallery and the Cosmopolitan Club in Center City. His work is also included in many private collections, including that of Chestnut Hill dentist, Dr. Michael Mendlow.

Does Rankin regard his being largely self-taught as an overall plus or minus? “Excellent question,” he replied. “As a largely self-taught artist, I sometimes wish that I had more formal training. It would give me a better foundation for the creative process. Most of my techniques are discovered through trial and error, but on the plus side, my exploration of clay sculpture has no boundaries. Both self-taught and formally trained artists struggle, and there are certainly pluses and minuses for all of us.”

Rankin's wife, a freelance copy editor, “puts up with my failures and successes on a daily basis. She polishes manuscripts for writers before they are submitted to agents or publishers.” Their daughter, Tess, is a freelance Spanish-English translator and editor who specializes in texts in academia and the art world.

In his spare time, Rankin plays the guitar, listens to all kinds of music and reads, preferably anything by John Steinbeck.

For more information, visit rankinsculptures.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.