Nita Sunderland "Standing Woman" Cast Bronze Abstract Modern Sculpture 60"

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"Standing Woman" by Nita Sunderland, Features an abstract form of a Standing women. Circa 1960s Mounts via iron pipe along … Read more "Standing Woman" by Nita Sunderland, Features an abstract form of a Standing women. Circa 1960s Mounts via iron pipe along base

Nita K. Sunderland, 92, American sculptor, died July 17, 2020 at Generations at Riverview in East Peoria.

Nita was born November 9, 1927, in Newton, Illinois, to parents Sarah (Taylor) Sunderland and Glenn H. Sunderland. She grew up in Newton, and continued her education in Norton, Mass, where she graduated from House in the Pines junior college in 1947. There she developed impressive equestrian skills and became captain of the school’s Riding Club. She briefly taught physical education at Lancaster Country Day School in Lancaster, PA, before resuming her education. She studied art at Duke University before transferring to Bradley University, where she received her BFA in 1952. Nita taught art at the University of Michoacan, Mexico, from 1953 to 1954. She received her Masters degree in ceramics from Bradley University in 1955 and joined the Bradley faculty a year later. As one of the first woman college sculpture instructors in the United States, Nita was constantly breaking the glass ceiling throughout her career. She taught sculpture, drawing, and 3-D design at Bradley until she retired as a Professor Emeritus in 1988.

Nita is known for her mostly large-scale works of sculpture carved from Indiana limestone or cast in bronze. Her artwork often expressed themes of masked emotions as well as historical and contemporary restrictions on women’s freedom and equality. Many of her works are in private collections in the Peoria and Chicago areas, and many grace public spaces such as the Peoria Civic Center, Peoria Methodist Medical Center, Illinois State University, Peoria Riverview Museum, Bradley University, and former Chicago locations including the Federal Plaza and Millenium Park.

Nita’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has been featured in local exhibitions including Lakeview Museum in 1964 and 1995 as well as a retrospective at Riverview Museum in 2016.

In 1986 Nita formed a sculpture restoration business with family and colleagues and performed invaluable restoration work on many public monuments in central Illinois and Indiana, including the Civil War Memorial in downtown Peoria.

Dimensions:
60"h x 9.5" x 8" See less