Why Not Sculpture

Schmidt’s concept design of sweeping arcs and curves in triangular form were highly inspired by the St. Louis Arch with his early passions for Origami, drawing, ceramics and printmaking. Many of his sculptures are regarded more as monuments, and grace public waterfronts, corporate headquarters and private estates worldwide. He has worked with cast aluminum and bronze, but relies on the everlasting virtues of high-grade stainless steel that is able to achieve its own graceful kind of organic energy. Simplicity and importance of life is what he is encouraging through the reflections of sculpture. “My goal is to fully realize these concepts from the images in my mind, in a way that the sculpture is able to create a mood,” Schmidt said. “And then it changes in a moment with the season and in a completely seamless and natural manner.” His mission is to provide those who experience his artwork with an enhanced sense of how constructed beauty can interplay with the natural world, our sense of aliveness, and be poetic and fluid in conversation with what we see as static or constant; and to share the gift of inspiration through reflection with the passion for stainless steel. He also desire to build sculptures that will last for many generations to come.  In recent years, Schmidt has exhibited throughout California, Michigan, Arkansas, Florida, and Taiwan. He won “First Place” at the Hot Springs 4th Annual Sculpture Showcase in Arkansas (2009), “First Place” at the 11th Annual Indian Wells Arts Festival in California (2013), placed in the “Top 25” at Art Prize in Michigan (2015, 2017), “Third Place” Sculpture category at the 54th Annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival (2017), and recipient of Proskauer Prize at the National Sculpture Society’s 85th Annual Awards Exhibition for his Rain of Faith Sculpture (2018). Schmidt’s corporate installations can be found at the Taiwan International Contemporary Artist Association in World Trade Center Taipei, BankUnited Building at the Financial District Downtown Miami, Florida, and Amway Botanical R&D Center in Wuxi/Shanghai, China; and his public works in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Northglenn, Colorado, Little Rock, and Hot Springs, Arkansas. He is represented by galleries in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Aspen, Miami Beach, Dubai, New York City and Bridgehampton.