March 6th, 2012 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  Contact:  E.  Spencer  Schubert  (913)  638-­‐6634  Spencer@esschubert.com      

Sculptor  Releases  Statement  about  the  portrait  of  Rush  Limbaugh.    

 Sculptor  E.  Spencer  Schubert,  who  has  been  commissioned  to  sculpt  portraits  of  Buck  O’Neil,  Dred  Scott,  and  Rush  Limbaugh  for  the  Missouri  State  Capital,  has  issued  a  statement  regarding  his  motivation  for  accepting  the  commissions.    

"I  was  honored  when  Speaker  Tilley  selected  me  to  sculpt  Buck  O’Neil,  a  shining  example  of  humanity.  I  was  honored  when  he  commissioned  me  to  sculpt  Dred  Scott,  an  icon  in  civil  rights  history.  And  I  was  honored  when  Tilley  commissioned  me  for  yet  another  sculpture  in  the  Hall  of  Famous  Missourians;  this  time,  Rush  Limbaugh,  an  entertainer  who  says  provocative  things.  As  a  sculptor  I  decided  long  ago  that  the  criteria  for  accepting  commissions  would  be  whether  or  not  they  are  artistically  interesting.  I  knew  this  would  be  an  interesting  project  due  to  the  fact  that  there  are  strong  opinions  on  either  side  about  Rush.  Those  strong  feelings  challenge  me  to  create  a  portrait  that  each  viewer  sees  the  way  that  they  want  to  see  it.  Again,  I  am  a  sculptor,  sculpting  is  what  I  do.  If  it  were  left  to  sculptors  to  choose  who  was  honored  with  portraits,  the  entire  history  of  portraiture  would  look  dramatically  different."    

 The  statement  was  released  in  response  to  the  controversy  surrounding  Limbaugh’s  induction  to  the  Hall  of  Famous  Missourians.    

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E. Spencer Schubert is sculptor who lives in Kansas City, Missouri and works in a studio in the Crossroads Arts District. Schubert has studied and sculpted the figure across the entirety of his art career. His work uses the figure to explore the strengths, weaknesses, tragedies, successes, and idiosyncrasies of people. Schubert received his BFA in sculpture from the University of Kansas in 2000. Since graduating from The University of Kansas, Schubert has exhibited his work throughout the Midwest. His work is included in public and private collections across the country.