Artist Labors for Taft Centennial
March 6, 2009
Sculptor Benjamin Victor had his work cut out for him: One of three finalists, he had three months to construct a scale model for Taft’s Oilworker Monument to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary next year.
Sculptor to Make Artistic Contribution to Hometown
March 5, 2009
The vision of a monument to oil workers is closer to becoming reality, as community members selected a final design for the homage to those who built up one of Kern County’s most vital industries. “Oil was the lifeblood of this community,” sculptor Benjamin Victor said. “It’s why the city of Taft budded here, and it’s also the lifeblood of the country in a way as a source of energy.” Read full story.
Victor Selected to Build Oil Worker Monument
March 5, 2009
The Oil Workers Monument committee unanimously selected Benjamin Victor, a man born in Taft and raised in Bakersfield, to construct a monument the committee plans to complete in time for the city’s 100th birthday in October 2010. Read full story.
Community Scrapbook
January 26, 2009
Recently veterans gathered for viewing of the World War II statue at Ben Victor’s studio at Northern State University. The nearly 8-foot-statue of an Army Air Corps pilot will eventually be displayed at the airport in Boise, Idaho.
The Belle Babb Mansfield Memorial
January/February 2009
From its earliest days, Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, pioneered daring and unconventional educational policies and practices. On January 21, 1869, seven Iowa Wesleyan students, bonded by their friendship, founded the P.E.O. Sisterhood.
Kretchman Clan Honored
December 16, 2008
Northern State honored the Kretchman family on Saturday at its basketball game. The school named its Hall of Fame room after its legendary coach, teacher and administrator Jim Kretchman of Aberdeen.
SW Idaho Sculpture Will Honor WWII Flight Crews
December 13, 2008
Benjamin Victor could have stayed in South Dakota and sculpted the new statue for Boise’s airport in the comfort of his own studio. Instead, he hauled it across three states to Nampa’s Warhawk Air Museum.
Ben Victor Aims for Balance
December 13, 2008
You’ll find something at Ben Victor’s studio you might not find at other artists’ studios. Make that someone. Namely, Victor’s 5-year-old daughter, Audrey, who sat quietly sculpting one day last week while her dad did the same, albeit on a much bigger scale. Victor’s son Caleb, 7, a first grader at C.C.Lee Elementary School, can also often be found in the studio in the basement of Northern State University’s Lincoln Hall.
Sculpting Gowen’s History and Getting it Right
November 30, 2008
Benjamin Victor could have stayed in South Dakota and sculpted the new statue for Boise’s airport in the comfort of his own studio. Instead, he hauled the sculpture across three states to Nampa’s Warhawk Air Museum.
Tribute to Pilots Who Served
November 12, 2008
Sculptor Benjamin Victor of Aberdeen, S.D., works on a commissioned sculpture Tuesday afternoon at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa. The sculpture of a World War II Army Air Corps aviator will be cast in bronze and displayed at the Boise Airport.
Belle Babb Mansfield Statue Dedicated
Summer 2008
When the Belle Babb Mansfield statue was unveiled on the Iowa Wesleyan campus on May 2, 2008, the wind whipped at the tarp, and at all who gathered for the dedication. But the nine-foot sculpted bronze statue appeared as strong and resolute as the woman it depicted.
A Memorial For Sacrifice
May 27, 2008
When veteran George Tepich saw the statue close up, he said he found himself staring straight into the eyes of his past and at the same time the eyes of today’s soldiers. He was overcome with emotion. “It made me think of my time in Vietnam, it made me think of all the kids over there in Iraq fighting,” Tepich said, eyes still wet from tears.
Returning Service to Marines
May 23, 2008
As a young Marine who fought in Guadalcanal under the legendary Lt. Gen. Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller, retired Master Sgt. Francis “Ace” Arciaga, found brotherhood that lasted a lifetime. “Marines past and present are like friends,” Arciaga said. “I’ve always felt that they were my extended family.”
Barriers Broken
May 3, 2008
Towering more than 8 feet tall, Belle Babb Mansfield stands overlooking the community that helped her become the first woman admitted to the bar in the United States. On Friday, the bronze statue honoring the Iowa Wesleyan College alumna was dedicated on the east side of campus in front of community members and national and local luminaries.
Marines Supported by Arts
April 9, 2008
One check has cemented plans for a Newport Beach-sponsored memorial to honor a Marine Battalion that recently returned from Iraq. The Newport Beach Arts Foundation’s $5,000 donation Tuesday put the city over the top for a roughly $100,000 memorial to honor the First Battalion, First Marines.
Mud to Masterpiece
April 7, 2008
He hasn’t even turned 30, but Aberdeen artist Ben Victor’s work is on display across the city, the state and even the country. The young Hub City artist isn’t only making a living doing what he loves, but making a name for himself as well.