The Documentation Of Creating a Life-Size Newsboy Sculpture
This part of Bridgette Mongeon’s blog documents the entire process of creating a life-size sculpture from start to finish. You are welcome to follow the links below, of course they will go backwards. But if you want to start from the front and go back, follow this chronological order.
Students and Teachers.
There are study materials, questions and educational material for much of the process. They are listed below.
Archives from sculptor Bridgette Mongeon and
The Texas Press Association Newsboy sculpture
To read previous journal entry click on the desired date
August 26, 2004
The News
I receive the information that I have been awarded the commission of the Newsboy for the Texas Press Association. In this journal entry I share some of passion for sculpting children and the photo of the Jesse Award created for the Houston Chronicle
Students learn about • Art and History
• Geography
August 27-30, 2004
Thoughts on The Project
• The beginning of the thought process concerning the sculpture
Students learn about • The difference between newsboy and news carrier
• The death of a newsboy • The history of newsboys in America and the Spanish American War
August 28
The Beginning
Students learn about • The first newsboy
August 31, 2004
How I Pick a Pose
• An artist’s reference, Picking a pose
Students learn about • The call of the newsboy events that happened in the last 125 years.
Sept 2, 2004
The Meeting
• Meeting with the Texas Press Association • Deciding on a pose
Students learn about • History of the lost wax method
September 5-7, 2004
Beginning the Small Sculpture
• Working with a model and roughing in the small newsboy sculpture
Students learn about • The history of knickers
September 8-10, 2004
The Sculpting of the Small Newsboy
• Roughing in the face of the small newsboy
Students learn about • Scaling a sculpture • 3D figures of sculptures
September 11-17, 2004
More Research on Clothes
and Sculpting of the Newsboy
• Researching newsboy outfit, zippers, and suspenders.
Students learn about • The newsboy strike of 1899 • the history of the zipper
September 18-26, 2004
A Sewing Pattern for Knickers
and Sculpting Continues
• Roughing in the small newsboy, finding a vintage 1929 newsboy clothing pattern
Students learn about• How artists use proportion and measurements.
September 27-October 3, 2004-
The Creative Process
• Article Printed in the tribune • International newspaper carrier day
• Creative thinking process
Students learn about • History of the sewing machine
• Sewing a 1929 pattern for the newsboy
October 4-11, 2004-
Sculpting Tricks and More Research
• Sculpting tricks
Students learn about • Motivation with their art
October 11-18, 2004-
Sewing a Vintage Outfit From An Old Pattern
• Sewing the outfit for the model • The final pose
Students learn about • Leisure time of a newsboy • Old toys
October 19-25, 2004-
The Finished Small Newsboy Sculpture
• Finishing the small sculpture • Receiving approval
Students learn about • The importance of folds and how to create them.
October 25- November 1, 2004-
Preparing the small Sculpture for the Foundry
• Preparing the small newsboy sculpture for the foundry
• A visit to the capitol building
Students learn about • Elizabet Ney and the history of Texas art • The Texas State Capitol building.
November 2-8, 2004-
Reviewing the Process of Creating
an Original Work of Art
• A review of the previous three months of progress.
• Information about copyrights and limited edition bronzes
Students learn about • Copyrights
November 9-12, 2004-
The Beginning of the Sculpting
on the Life-size Newsboy
• Beginning of the life size newsboy sculpture • Creating the armature
Students learn about • The Penny Press • Yellow Journalism • Newspaper production at the time period of our newsboy
November 13-21, 2004
The Beginning of the Sculpting
on the Life-size Newsboy cont.
• Roughing in the large newsboy sculpture.
Students learn about • How to enlarge a sculpture
November 29- December 6, 2004 –
The Future Journey of our Newsboy
• The future journey of our newsboy
Students learn about
• The State Preservation Board
• The Texas Capitol building
• Texas Legislature • The Texas Senate
December 7 – December 13, 2004-
Frustration Of the Creative Process
• The future journey of our newsboy
Students learn about
• Newsboy Strike • The zipper
December 14 – December 21, 2004-
The Morphing of a Sculpture
December 22 – December 27, 2004
-Working Through the Holidays
December 28- January 3, 2004-
Huge Strides In the life Size Sculpture
January 3-10, 2005-
Now WeAre Getting There
First small newsboy bronze • Head is added to the life size sculpture
January 11-17, 2005-
Details on Life-Size Sculpture Come Together
January 18-21, 2005-
Adding the Hand to the Life-size Sculpture and
Sculpting a Newspaper
January 22-29, 2005-
Sculpting is Complete on the Life-size Newsboy
January 31-February 7, 2005-
The Mold Making Process
February 8-14, 2005
Mold Making Rubber and Fiberglass
February 15-21, 2005-
Pouring the Wax
February 22-28, 2005-
Working the Wax
March 1-7, 2005-
The Dip. Learn about the next step in the bronze casting process – the dip.
March 8-15,2005-
The Metal Pour
Students learn about • The Bronze Casting Process
March 16-April 11, 2005-
Putting the Metal Together
April 12-May, 2005-
Correcting the Metal
May 2005-
Completion of the Newsboy Sculpture
The newsboy sculpture is complete.
May 8 2005
Newsboy Life Size Editions.
Learn about the editions of the newsboy number one and two.
November 29, 2006
The Newsboy Placed
Bridgette visits Austin Texas and sees her sculpture installed. It is her first time seeing it.
November 28, 2006
Another Life-Size Newsboy To Be Created
For $20,000 the artist sells reproductions of the newsboy. Another paper has purchased a newspaper. They are going to pay the extra $2,000 to have the newsboy headline changed to something of their liking.
December 7, 2006
Another Order For a Small Newsboy
For $1,350 plus shipping Bridgette sends the small newsboys to newspapers all over the country. It makes a great gift for a recognition of accomplishment.
January 12, 2007
A New Life Size Newsboy
See number two in the edition of the bronze newsboy at the foundry in bronze.
May 2005- Present-
The Life Size Limited Edition
The placement of the first in the edition of ten life-size bronze Newsboys and the remaining sculptures as purchased complete with their headlines changed to reflect times in history.
March 23, 2007
Artist Carves History In Bronze
A press release about how sculptor Bridgette Mongeon has a limited edition bronze sculpture in which she creates headlines in her bronze newspaper that match her clients inspiration.
May 21, 2007
An Update on Number Two in the Edition of The Life Size Newsboy Bronze
The artist is honored that the headline for number two in the edition for this paper winning the Pulitzer for their fight against the KKK.
November 27, 2007
Newsboy Goes to Canada
Often people will purchase the small newsboy figurine for awards. Learn about the story of the O’Brien family and their contribution to the industry in this post.
May 19, 2009
It Is Getting Moldy Around Here- LOL
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon searches for all of the molds of the newsboy to send to the foundry.
May 22, 2009
Body Parts About The Studio
June 12, 2009
Wax Newspapers
Bridgette changes the paper that the newsboy holds to reflect a paper in the history of each collector.
July 10, 2009
Newsboy Commemorates Journalism … Again!
Number three in the edition is sold. This time the newsboy will sell his papers in the North West.
July 21, 2009
The Newsboy Will Ship in The Morning!
The sculpture for the Tri-City Herald ships to Kennewick, Washington. Of course the artist changed the paper.
July 17, 2009
What is a Metal Check?
Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon travels to the foundry. She repeats what she has done so many times before.
Sept 5, 2009
Recent Media on The Newsboy Sculpture
A Third Newsboy is Placed in Kennewick WA
September 5, 2009
Television Coverage of the Unveiling of the Newsboy Sculpture
Unfortunately the link was removed as of May 2020.