Artist David Deming Honors Scholar-Athletes Jan and Terry Todd with Bas-Relief April 12, 2012

Former University of Texas at Austin College of Fine Arts dean and acclaimed sculptor David Deming has created and donated a bronze bas-relief of Drs. Jan and Terry Todd to the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports.

The bas-relief is mounted on the wall of the Stark Center’s main lobby, across from the Teresa Lozano Long Gallery. It honors Jan and Terry as founders of the Stark Center and as the generous donors of many of the Center’s holdings.

“This Center is such a treasure, with one surprise after another as you explore it,” said Deming, who recently created an 8-foot, 1000-pound bronze statue of former football player and University of Texas at Austin alumnus Ricky Williams. The Williams statue is located at the southeast end of the UT football stadium next to one of Longhorn great Earl Campbell.

“What a magnificent stash the Todds have amassed up there,” said Deming. “After visiting the Center and seeing what excellent work they are accomplishing, I felt compelled to do something to recognize their scholarly contributions and the tireless effort they put into building the Center’s holdings.

“I know they like to honor others – that’s very obvious when you visit the Stark Center – and it seemed like it was time for someone to honor them. They’re living proof that someone can be an athlete – world record setting, in this case - and be an exceptional scholar as well. Many people don’t realize what a world-class research facility the Center is.”

Deming was with The University of Texas at Austin for 26 years before leaving for Ohio in 1998 to become president of the Cleveland Institute of Art, from which he recently retired.

“We lived in Texas for 28 years, I have a Dripping Springs studio and a lot of my heart remains in Texas,” said Deming. “Good friends we have made here, like the Todds, keep me coming back for frequent visits.”

With thousands of items related to strength training for sports, physical education, alternative medicine, ergogenic drugs, health and nutrition, golf and other sports, the Stark Center is the most extensive physical culture archive in the world.

The 27,500 square feet facility is home to a rich array of photos, videos, sculptures, 35,000 books, films, paintings, posters, journals and magazines. Rare and valuable artifacts in the center include century-old shot-loaded barbells, portraits of physical culture pioneers, Tom Kite’s scrapbooks, Tom Landry’s family photos, and Ben Crenshaw’s Ryder Cup golf cart as well as one of his Master’s trophies.

The Stark Center is also one of only a handful of facilities in the world recognized as an Olympic Studies Center.

Located at the north end of Darrell K Royal –Texas Memorial Stadium on the fifth floor, the Center is open to the public and displays hundreds of rare artifacts. Also, the Weider Museum, located within the Stark Center, currently features the exhibition Muscle & Grace: Images of Physical Culture and Sports.

The Stark Center is part of the College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. For more information about the Center and its current exhibition, visit www.starkcenter.org.

—Kay Randall, University Communications, 512-232-3910