the Art Students’ League he discontinued his work at the Metropolitan Museum. During the evenings he attended a class at the league and each day between 9 and 4 he could be found modeling some animal at the Bronx Zoo. At odd times he pur sued his common school studies and graduated from the eighth grade.
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About two years ago, accompanied b ' his father, Avard set out for Paris. l'fie,
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stopped in New York about six weeks and while there made the statuette of “The Baby” and the model of the "Jersey Bull,” which were accepted by the Na tional Academy of Designs. Upon ar rival at Paris he was admitted to the Ecole National des Beaux Arts to study sculpture and marble cutting upon sub mitting photographs of his work. But he was just getting well started in his work when war was declared and in order to get out of the country he was forced to abandon practically all the pieces he had done, and many of his personal belong ings. Since returning to America he has continued his studies at Salt Lake. 0. J. Games. Young Fairbanks has studied from nature itself, his animal models posing for him in the Zoo
three years—the work of the youth met the exacting requirements of the National Academy of Designs, in New York, and of the Salon des Artistes Francais, in
U AT a table in the Belgian'section of the French Pavilion at the Exposition in San Francisco, every da for five months, sat Madame aJules élerfayt, a San Franciscan and wi ow of a personal friend ofAlbert, King of the Belgians, who had died of worry over the fate of his
Paris. During the same period the boy mother of whose whereabouts, after the com leted ten pieces for exhibition at capture of Mons, he could never learn. the anama-Pacific International Expo Open before her was a book which she sition, which thousands of people admired called the "Book of Gold” after the fa without a thought that they were the mous volume burned in the cathedral at Louvain. It was well named, for during the work of a boy in knickerbockers. The boy was Avard Fairbanks of Salt five months 2000 signatures represented Lake, Utah’s boy sculptor; the artist was $6000 donated to the cause of Belgian his father. Avard comes of an artistic relief. The “Book of Gold" is closed, but family. but other than to watch his Madame Clerfayt is continuin her relief father and his brother occasionally be work at the exposition in San Diego. tween playtimes or on rainy
days, Avard evinced little Avard Fairbanks, Utah's boy sculptor, interest in art until he was twelve years of age. One who was in knickerbockers when afternoon at the end of fame came his way about three hours’ work LITTLE less than five years ago a Avard offered for inspection man well past middle age presented a clay likeness of his pet his credentials at the door of the Metro rabbit that created a stir in olitan Museum of Art in New York City. the Fairbanks household. lilis every move bespoke him a westerner. Shortly after his ex e His credentials said he was an artist from rience with “The Rabbit’’ Salt Lake who had been commissioned to Avard accompanied his make copies of some of the works of the father to New York and masters in the museum. At his side was a began to study in the Met boy in knickerbockers. The boy carried ropolitan Museum of Art. no credentials but, through the man, Within seven months he had asked permission to make copies of some been awarded a special scholarship in the Art Stu— of the masterpieces of sculpture. “We do not permit children to play in dents’ League for his com the museum,” evaded the courteous at osition, “The Fighting tendant. Panthers." A second spe "But he doesn't want to play; he wants cial scholarship was given to work,” replied the artist. him the next year for his It took a lot of argument to get the models of “The Tiger” and twelve-year-old boy into the museum even “The Bear.” At the age of lon enough to demonstrate what he thirteen he was the young cou d do. Less than twenty-four hours later est sculptor ever admitted gizedvto the about boy andthe theinstitution man. Vithin six to membership in the Art ever body apolo— Students’ League and the months the boy was the talk of New York. youngest scul tor to have He was heralded as a genius and recog work accepte by the Na nition was accorded him by admission to tional Academy of Designs. exclusive art organizations that had never The oungster is an inde before honored one so young. fatigab e worker. After re Within four years—yes, almost within ceiving the scholarship in
Madame Clerfayt, widow ofa personal friend of Belgium's king, engaged in relief work in California
