Hon. JP Cleophus Steele bust - CODAworx

Hon. JP Cleophus Steele bust

Submitted by Sabine Senft

Client: Dallas County

Location: Dallas, TX, United States

Completion date: 2021

Artwork budget: $15,000

Project Team

artist

Sabine Senft

Sabine Senft Art

art consultant

Allison Hays Lane

Olana Group

project management

Prichard Associates

Overview

This life size bronze bust was commissioned by the County Offices in Dallas, TX to honor the late Justice of Peace, judge Clephus Steele, the first Afro-American judge in Dallas, TX.

Goals

The goal was to create a commemorative lookalike bust of the late Justice of Peace and a pedestal to complement the existing architecture

Process

Working from photographs gathered from the archives and family members, I recaptured not only the likeness of the judge but hopefully also his personality and spirit. I aim to capture the essence of a person.

The bust was sculpted in clay and then cast in the lost wax process into bronze.

I also designed a custom pedestal for this bust that mirrors and complements the architectural environment of the newly refurbished building.
I sourced architectural i-beams and redesigned them into a pedestal that can be safely bolted to the floor to withstand foot traffic in a public building. Its surface is powder coated for easy maintenance and additonal resistance.

Additional Information

This piece was a great collaboration with the Olana Group, Prichard Associates and KIA Architects.