he awe-inspiring feats by Larry Bird, alongside his Indiana State Sycamoresteammates from 1976 to ’79, remain etched in the minds of Wabash Valley residents.

culptor Bill Wolfe has preserved those memories inbronze, creating the 15-foot statue of Bird to forever

stand outside the scene of so many of those basketballheroics — Hulman Center.

Wolfe worked day and night, often all night, for ninemonths in his Terre Haute studio. He granted Tribune-Starphotographer Joe Garza access to the process. They forgeda kinship, and Garza captured exceptional images as Wolfesculpted a legendary figure. As its Nov. 9 dedicationarrives, this Tribune-Star special section, featuring Garza’sphotographs, shows the sculpture’s artistic evolution fromimagination to foam, clay and, finally, bronze.

Giving them atrim: At right, artist

Bill Wolfe, duringinitial work on the

piece on Nov. 1,2012, in his studio,

shaves off layers ofStyrofoam to make

the legs of the LarryBird statue resemble

the way they wereduring his playing

days at IndianaState University.

Above that, Wolfetrims the legs.

Biggerthan life: At left, BillWolfeappearsdwarfed byjust the torsoof the LarryBird statueas he carvesthe Styro-foam shapeon Nov. 1,2012, in hisstudio onOhio Street.At top, Wolfesmooths theStyrofoamsurface ofBird’s facethat willbecome partof the statue.

2 TRIBUNE-STAR • Friday, November 8, 2013

TRIBUNE-STAR • Friday, November 8, 2013 3

Spreading clay: Wabash Valley Art Guild members Pria Rahmouni, Herb Mason, Jean Kristeller and Jim Dugger spread clay that had been heated in a microwave over the Styrofoam form ofIndiana State University basketball legend Larry Bird in Bill Wolfe’s studio on Nov. 8, 2012. While gathered for a meeting, Art Guild members helped apply clay to the foam figure.

Leg work: Four mem-bers of the Art Guild

spread clay on one ofthe legs of the Larry

Bird statue in the stu-dio. Below that, Wolfedemonstrates how to

spread clay on theStyrofoam form.

Help fromfriends: At left,Wolfe talkswith WabashValley ArtGuild memberBob Riseling asfellow memberJane Dusanicspreads clayon one of theStyrofoam legsof the LarryBird statue.Above, guildmembers helpcover pieces ofthe statue.

Piece by piece: Wolfe picks up the Styrofoam ball of the statue to showmembers of the Wabash Valley Art Guild how he wants clay spread onthe piece.

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Taking shape: Lit by a single flo-rescent light in a former automo-bile showroom, the likeness of ayoung collegiate basketball legend is sculpted by handin the late hours of Nov. 15, 2012,in Bill Wolfe’s downtownTerre Haute studio.

To fit the times:At left, Wolfesculpts LarryBird’s late 1970shairstyle during alate-night worksession on Nov.28, 2012.

All in the details: At left, using a simpleplastic knife, artist Bill Wolfe adds textureto the surface of one of the legs of theLarry Bird statue on Dec. 17, 2012.

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A point of reference:Above, A photo ofBird from his days asa Boston Celtic liesnext to coffee cupsand clay modelingtools in the studio onNov. 21, 2012. At left,Wolfe uses a model-ing tool to removegray material fromaround the “33” onthe jersey.

Jersey work:Above, Wolfesquares awaythe serif of an“A” on the jer-sey of the Birdstatue on Nov.21, 2012. Atright, Wolfesoftens clay inhis hands onJan. 11, 2013.

His second home: Artist Bill Wolfe (above) sits on a cushion he found outside his studio as he carvesthe “33” into the front of the Larry Bird statue’s jersey in his studio on Nov. 21, 2012.

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In pieces: Bill Wolfe on Jan. 3, 2013, carries the Styrofoam ball of the Larry Bird statue to a work table, past a historic mural he also was working on. Below left, a surrealistic and humorousscene unfolds as Wolfe works on both halves of the statue in his studio on Nov. 28, 2012. Below right, Wolfe stretches a rubbery mat, often used to line tool boxes and drawers, to simulatethe dimpled surface of a real basketball on Jan. 3.

Tools of the trade: Above, brushes and a rasp become covered with Styrofoam dust and shavings between their

uses by Wolfe as he works on the legs of the statue on Dec. 17, 2012. At right, the sculptor spreads the rubbery

material over the ball of the statue on Jan. 3, 2013.

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Months of hard work: At farleft, Bill Wolfe manipulates clayto form a “33” on the back ofthe jersey of the Larry Bird stat-ue on Jan. 16, 2013. At top,Wolfe works on the hair of thestatue on Jan. 13. Below that, theartist carves the texture anddetail of a basketball shoe intothe clay of the statue Jan. 31. Atnear left, a brush and a carvingtool lie at the ready as Wolfeworks on the legs on Dec. 17,2012. At bottom left, the sculptorsprays an adhesive on bothhalves of the statue as he pre-pares to attach the pieces onJan. 30.

It’s the small stuff: At left, thesculptor inserts a wedge of Styro-foam to arch the back of the stat-ue on Jan. 30, 2013. Above, heuses a nut pick to create thegroove between the leather andrubber sole of one of the Adidasbasketball shoes on Jan. 31.

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Ready to hang: Atright, with some help

from friends and fami-ly members, Bill Wolfe

(left) guides the clay-coated Styrofoam fig-

ure of Larry Bird out ofthe showroom of the

former Mace Fordbuilding on Feb. 1,

2013, in order to hangit in the Mace garage

on Ohio Street indowntown

Terre Haute.

Moving day: Below,Wolfe (near Larry’s left

shoulder) unscrews agiant eye bolt that

allowed the statue tohang from the door

frames in the ceiling ofthe garage on Feb. 11.With help from friendsand family, the statue

was loaded into a trailer to be trans-ported to Sincerus

Bronze Art Studio inIndianapolis.

Heavy lifting: At left, Bill Wolfe(middle) supports the weight ofthe clay covered Styrofoam statue as he and friends moveit into the garage Feb. 1.

Hanging out: At top, usingcables, Wolfe and friends pullthe statue into an uprightposition as it hangs from thegarage door frames in the ceiling of the former dealershipFeb. 1.

Loading Larry: Above, Wolfewatches as volunteers helpguide the statue into a traileron Feb. 11 for transport to Indianapolis.

TRIBUNE-STAR • Friday, November 8, 2013 9

Secure: Above, artist BillWolfe helps place the LarryBird statue into a trailer soit can be delivered to Sin-cerus Bronze Art Studio in

Indianapolis at his studio onFeb. 11, 2013. At top right,

to minimize movement dur-ing its trip to Indianapolis,

Nehemiah Gillman and TimFouse strap the statue intoplace in the trailer outsideWolfe’s studio. Near right,the sculptor hugs his son,Austin, as the door of the

trailer is closed.

Finishingtouches: At left,Wolfe watches asSincerus BronzeArt Studio artisanSean Neal appliesa patina to theLarry Bird statueAug. 28, 2013, atthe studio in Indi-anapolis.

Back together again: The sculptor looks over the fully reassembled Larry Bird statue upon his arrival to the Sincerus Bronze Art Studio on Aug. 21, 2013, in Indianapolis.

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Many hands: Above, after months of meticulously crafting the features of the Larry Bird statue’sface, the head of the Bill Wolfe sculpture sits separated from the rest of the body as SincerusBronze Art Studio artisans work on other separated pieces on Feb. 22, 2013, at the studio inIndianapolis. At top right, artisan Evan Hauser looks over the face as he works on the piece May20 at the studio. At right, artisans (clockwise from the top) Sean Neal, Amy Noblitt, Nick Cox andHauser polish the coat of patina recently applied to the statue on Aug. 28. Below, Cox carves atexture into one of the shoes during production of the piece. At bottom, Neal applies a coat ofcarnauba wax to the face as one of the last steps in the statue’s creation on Aug. 28.

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Sculptor and artist BillWolfe works from a studio indowntown Terre Haute, hishometown. His statues,murals and paintings gracepublic venues from VigoCounty and the Midwest tothe East Coast. Wolfe and hiswife, Marina, have two sons,Bryant and Austin.

For reference: At left,Bill Wolfe used thesephotos from Larry Bird’sdays as an Indiana StateUniversity Sycamore anda Boston Celtic as framesof reference when hecreated Bird’s statue. Atfar left, one of the finalsteps of a project doneby artist Wolfe is thesigning of his name. Inthis case, a carving of hisname with a wolf pawprint appears on theback of one of the stat-ue’s shoes. Above, a Birdfan wearing an “I’m A‘Bird' Watcher” T-shirtposes for a photo infront of his statue afterthe Indiana Pacers gameon Oct. 29, 2013, atBankers Life Fieldhousein Indianapolis. The stat-ue was unveiled beforethe game.

Final steps: Sincerus Bronze Art Studio artisans (clockwise from the top) SeanNeal, Amy Noblitt and Evan Hauser polish the coat of patina recently appliedto the Larry Bird statue on Aug. 28, 2013, at the studio in Indianapolis.

Joseph C. Garza is thechief photographer of theTribune-Star and beganhis career at the newspa-per in 2000. Joseph, or Joeas he is known by friendsand family, grew up in theTerre Haute communityand is a 1989 graduate ofTerre Haute South VigoHigh School and a 1994graduate of Ball StateUniversity. Joe is marriedto the former KimberlyHalfhill of Brazil and theyhave three children,Valerie, Joe and Nick. Thephotographer is the son ofTerre Haute residents Joeand Linda Garza.

Section design by Alicia Morgan • Tribune-Star

Photo by Kimberly Garza

The sculptor …

The photographer …

TRIBUNE-STAR • Friday, November 8, 2013 11

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