‘Digging Deeper – Art With Purpose’ Opens This Weekend in Fayetteville

A place in history, a moment in time, these are words that express the essence of the art of Amanda Danning in the exhibition, Digging Deeper – Art With Purpose, opening at Arts for Rural Texas in Fayetteville on October 15 from 4 p.m – 6 p.m. Danning is a painter and a forensic sculptor. As a painter she travels to various locations where she works plein air and captures the beauty, the light, and the pure character and meaning of the local. She speaks of the power and strength of the people and the land. She captures the light and beauty in simple landscapes while telling stories if the inhabitants of these locals.

With over thirty years of professional experience and an advanced degree in sculpture, Amanda Danning, working as a designer, fabricator, and Exhibit Director, has more than a hundred pieces in museums across the nation. Amanda gained international recognition as a forensic sculptor between 2005 and 2020. She has been commissioned by and worked with the Smithsonian Institute on several occasions. Her facial reconstructions of two members of the original Jamestown settlement have been displayed at the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. in the “Written in Bone” Exhibit. She is an acclaimed sculptor and is known for her forensic works. In this capacity, she has given presentations across the United States while her work is included in several scientific and history books. She has completed the only two facial reconstructions of Buffalo Soldiers recovered from looted graves at Fort Craig Cemetery in New Mexico. Her forensic sculptures have been referenced in six books including “Their Skeletons Speak,” “Written in Bone” and “Kennewick Man” and on History Channel and National Geographic Channel. She worked with the Sam Houston Memorial Museum on the “San Jacinto Project,” forensically recreating the faces of six men who died on the San Jacinto Battlefield. As a child, Danning was interested in and liked art. She always drew, always painted, and I always made things. But, in Mabank, where she grew up, art wasn’t really viewed as a viable option for earning a living. She states that her family never really thought of art as something to take seriously. However, when she was in her early 20s, her mother entered some of her pieces in a contest where she won first, second, third, honorable mention, and a scholarship. This was the turning point in her life when she began taking art seriously. The scholarship prompted her to strive for higher education and went on the obtain a Bachelors and Masters at Florida Atlantic University.

When asked how her career and interests evolved into the forensic specialty of sculpture she said, “I had done sculptural work for museums, and like many artists trying to make a living, I had gone into management, ending up working as art director for Southwest Museums Services. After a couple of such jobs, I started my own museum-design company, focusing on portraits and sculptures. One client in Bosque County needed a facial reconstruction. The Smithsonian was consulting on the job, and they recommended it. So I had the opportunity to work with The Smithsonian; in particular, the famous Dr. Owsley, who was the head of Anthropology there. When we finished that project, he recommended me to be part of some upcoming specials for the “History” channel and the “National Geographic” channel.

“I hope to be described as more than a forensic sculptor,” Danning, who also creates fine art sculptures of iconic Texas wildlife and horses as well as portraits and landscapes rendered in oils or pastels, said. “An artist’s job is to capture what we see every day, but in our go-go-go world never slow down to appreciate.” She continued, “I hope that my work causes people to pause—and plays a small part in keeping them in touch with our history, our humanity and the beauty of the natural world that they might’ve otherwise missed.” Dannings paintings and sculptures will be on exhibit at Arts for Rural Texas Ross Gallery from October 15 – December 3, 2022.

The artist’s reception is open to the public and will be held on October 15 from 4 – 6 p.m. Arts for Rural Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit is located at 114 North Live Oak on the historic square in downtown Fayetteville. The organization offers quality exhibitions, cultural experiences and art education to residents and visitors of south central Texas. For more information visit https://www. artsforruraltexas.org or call (979) 378-2113.

The Amanda Danning opening is held in conjunction with Fayetteville’s annual Lickskillet celebration. The event began in 1976 in the town of Fayetteville and celebrates its German-Czech heritage. Saturday, October 15th is filled with activities with a street dance that goes until midnight.

Activities spill over into Sunday as the festivities continue with the ever-popular Lickskillet Days Parade featuring unique floats, trail-riders, antique cars, and local charm. Plan to stay for the entire weekend of fun- filled events and experience small town “Fayetteville, the way Texas used to be.” Check it out at https://www. greaterfayettevillechamber.org.