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In touch with art

Russell Bellamy creates hands-on sculptures.

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL ≈ PHOTO: NICOLE HAMEL

eesburg sculptor Russell Bellamy believes many people would be surprised to learn that he was in his third year of college before he discovered art.

“I mostly went to college to play soccer,” he says. Russell started out at Georgetown College in Kentucky as an economics major. He switched to history, then communications before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in ne arts. He went on to earn a master’s of ne arts with a concentration in sculpture from the University of Cincinnati in 2005.

He now shares his passion for art at Beacon College, where he is an associate professor and chairman of the Art and Studio Arts Department. The nonpro t liberal arts school primarily serves students with learning disabilities, ADHD, dyslexia and other learning di erences.

Russell is going into his 10th year at the downtown Leesburg school.

As an artist, he delights in creating artwork that “incorporates life into the product.” A perfect example is his swinging bird sculptures that people can ride.

“I have always preferred making interactive artwork,” Russell says. “This creates an excitement in the viewer that is not generally present viewer that is not generally present in the gallery or museum setting. in the gallery or museum setting. I never really cared for the stale I never really cared for the stale environment that discouraged environment that discouraged touching or (kept people from) truly touching or (kept people from) truly enjoying the creative experience.” enjoying the creative experience.”

Many of his works are in Many of his works are in personal, corporate and government personal, corporate and government collections throughout the United collections throughout the United States and Europe. States and Europe.

“I consider sculpture to be “I consider sculpture to be object-based philosophy,” Russell object-based philosophy,” Russell says. “What I enjoy most about being says. “What I enjoy most about being a sculptor is the creative problema sculptor is the creative problemsolving. How can I get people to solving. How can I get people to think about a certain topic? How think about a certain topic? How can I get people to behave a certain can I get people to behave a certain way? Then I have to gure out how way? Then I have to gure out how to construct things. It’s like being a to construct things. It’s like being a metaphysical engineer.” metaphysical engineer.”

Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Matthew Barney’s Cremaster series and Xu Bing’s “A Book series and Xu Bing’s “A Book from the Sky” have been from the Sky” have been inspirational to him. inspirational to him.

“These pieces epitomize the “These pieces epitomize the balance between the aesthetic and balance between the aesthetic and the conceptual,” he says. “Each tells the conceptual,” he says. “Each tells a powerful cultural narrative paired a powerful cultural narrative paired with a visual that creates intrigue with a visual that creates intrigue and encourages critical dialogue.” and encourages critical dialogue.”

To his Beacon art students, To his Beacon art students, Russell says his main message Russell says his main message is simply: “Be observant and be is simply: “Be observant and be passionate about everything you do. passionate about everything you do. Observation is the foundation for Observation is the foundation for growth and expression, while passion growth and expression, while passion is contagious.” is contagious.”

To see more of Russell’s interactive To see more of Russell’s interactive art, go to russellbellamy.com. art, go to russellbellamy.com.

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