SEAN McGRAW, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT GETTYSBURG
Summer | Fall 2018 | MartinArts 43
The battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
involved the largest number of casualties of the
entire Civil War and is often described as the
turning point of the American Civil War. The
three days of battle between Gen. George Meade’s
Army of the Potomac and Confederate Gen.
Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, halted
the confederate invasion of the North.
Florida-born Historical Artist Sean S.
McGraw has spent much of his life devoted to the
study and illustration of American History. Born
near Carrabelle, Florida, McGraw was raised in
rural Jupiter and spent his youth enamored with
the Seminole wars and local history (read more
about Sean. S. McGraw at his websites www.
civilwarbronze.com and www.seansmcgraw.com).
This May marked the second time
(2016, previously) that McGraw was awarded the
honor of being named the artist in residence for
Gettysburg National Military Park. McGraw was
fortunate to be one of the first selected for the
program in 2016 and the one of a few selected
to represent the arts in Gettysburg for the 100th
anniversary of the National Parks Service.
The Gettysburg Foundation and the
National Parks Service/Department of the interior,
along with the National Parks Arts Foundation
offer residencies for outstanding professional
artists who are actively seeking to utilize the
collections and resources that Gettysburg
National Military Park has to offer.
This year McGraw focused on the
100th Anniversary of the United States battles in
World War One. Much of his time was spent in
records and items relating to Gettysburg’s Camp
Colt which was a Tank training camp before and
during WWI. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the
Camp commander in WWI and supervised the
Tank training which actually happened on the
actual battlefields used during the famous Civil
War battles decades earlier.
Previously in his time as the resident for
the NPAF McGraw has focused on participants
of the battles which took place during 1863 at
Gettysburg. His past and current work consisting
of bronze sculptures are sold through King James
Galleries of Gettysburg, conveniently located in
the historic downtown square.
This year however McGraw has been
working on a project to commemorate WWI in
Gettysburg and the importance of the National
Park Service in telling not only the story of the
Civil War Battles but also what happened during
the days of Camp Colt.
McGraw utilizes re-enactors and
historians as models for his works and is always
interested in meeting re-enactors willing to pose
as models and anyone who enjoys talking about
American history and art.
Sean S. McGraw works from his studio
in Hobe Sound, Florida where he works as an
historical artist and illustrator.
Visit this link: http://www.einnews.com/pr_
news/447141328/sculptor-preserves-historical-legacy
during-national-parks-arts-foundation-residency
at-gettysburg-battlefield
/civilwarbronze.com
/www.seansmcgraw.com)
