MEDALLIC ARTIST HEIDI WASTWEET

Heidi Wastweet is a name that is familiar to many collectors of modern coins and medals, especially those for whom the artistic aspect of coins is especially important.

Heidi is a California-based sculptor who specializes in bas-relief sculpture that includes coins and medals as well as public art monuments. Bas-relief involves carving a design into a surface so that figures and motifs project slightly from the background.

Like many celebrated coin designers of the past such as American legends like Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Adolph Weinman, her true métier is sculpture, which is reflected in her medallic work that often features designs rendered with deep relief.

Since 1987 she has sculpted over 1,000 models for coins and related objects and often also does the designing for those works. Those pieces frequently include male and female figures and birds and other animals as well as motifs that are rooted in history or symbolism, which she carefully researches before creating a design.

In 2019 Heidi joined the United States Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program of outside artists who submit designs for U.S. coins and medals and work with the Mint’s permanent staff of artists and medallic sculptors.

Heidi served two four-year terms from 2010 to 2018 on the Citizen’s Coinage Advisory Committee (advising the Treasury Secretary on U.S. coin and medal designs) as specialist in sculpture/medallic arts; currently serves as president of the American Medallic Sculpture Association; annually teaches a popular medallic sculpture workshop at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina (a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve that also offers programs to train sculptors); is also active in many other professional associations such as the International Art Medal Federation (FIDEM) and the Medal Collectors of America (MCA), and is an elected member of the National Sculpture Association.

On January 23 Heidi gave a presentation to the Medal Collectors of America via Zoom titled Old Well, New Water in which she discussed her approach to her work.

She began by noting that for her old and new are not in opposition to each other and that some key artists who influenced her include Italian Renaissance artist Pisandello, Laura Gardin Fraser (who designed the 1999 $5 gold commemorative of George Washington and was a sculptor), Adolph Weinman (who created the Mercury dime and Walking Liberty half dollar), and ancient Greek art. For her, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who was considered the greatest American artist in his day, is the benchmark for medallic design.

To read the complete article, see:
Old Well, New Water: Heidi Wastweet’s approach to medallic art (https://mintnewsblog.com/old-well-new-water-heidi-wastweets-approach-to-medallic-art/)

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