“The NFL Draft, 1936”
“The NFL Draft,1936” Artist Gail Folwell has been awarded a prestigious commission from the City of Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio as the organizations gears up to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the NFL in 2020. Her sculpture “The NFL Draft, 1936”, honors the founder of the NFL draft Bert Bell and all the players of America’s game. It was Bell who had the brilliant idea to equalize the playing field for players across the board by creating a draft for college players. Bell accomplished this by having the professional NFL teams select players from nation wide colleges in reverse order of how they were ranked at the end of their last season. This stroke of genius allowed as Bell would quote “On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team.” Changing the face of football overnight. Folwell’s design of the NFL line up is engaging and fun as it beckons the sports fan to become a part of the sculpture—come join the pulse on the line of scrimmage. The players are perched with pent up energy, in anticipation of the split second--HIKE where chaos theory lays the stage, moving this line of muscle and mass forward toward the goal. At the center of that flurry of energy lies Bert Bell in his suit and hat. Folwell quotes “I was drawn to The NFL Draft, 1936 (moment) because it demonstrated the collaboration between the business and the art of football.” said Folwell. “For this reason, I was compelled to conceptually portray the team owner in a suit as the center on the team, building the roster of players around him.” Gail Folwell is known nation wide for her grand scale athletic sculptures with her unique ability to capture athletes at the pinnacle of their exertion. Folwell, herself a consummate athlete, has portrayed the inertia these human machines exude as they push themselves beyond thresholds to reach new platforms of accomplishments in their field. Having known Gail in both capacities I can attest to her deep commitment to her personal goals: through her art and capturing the true spirit of the athlete. Dimensions of Monument
Each figure measures 48 x 41 x 57 inches Edition of 5 (4 remaining) Claggett Rey Gallery
Front Line Maquette size Front Line - Lineman 14 x 14 x 10 inches Front Line - Snap 14 x 14 x 10 inches
Bill Rey 100 East Meadow Dr. Suite #7 Vail, CO 81657 970-476-9350 www.claggettrey.com
Claggett Rey Gallery has been an integral part of several major sculpture installations for institutions and organization across the country: including University of South Alabama, Bowling Green State University, Converse College, Lee University, University of Mississippi, Silver Oak Cellars and Vail Resorts. For more references please contact the gallery. Photo Credits: Brent Bingham, Joseph Albert