At The Booth Library—

Sports Legends Captured By

Sculptors Rudolf And Rubino

By Dottie Evans

Several portrait figures from the world of sports, created by area sculptors Jack Rudolf and Peter Rubino, are on display at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library in the first floor corridor glass display case near the Children’s Room.

The exhibit, which was put up on Thursday, April 29, will remain for six weeks until June 15.

“We’re very excited to have these pieces on display,” said Collections Curator Caroline Stokes, “especially since last year, we displayed a collection of historical portrait busts by Jack Rudolf.”

Mr Rudolf’s historic heroes in sculpture included Amelia Earhart, Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill. He is currently working on Mark Twain.

Jack Rudolf was a state senator for many years, and he lives on Dodgingtown Road, Bethel. He has been working in sculpture for a long time as an avocation, and had originally been a student of Mr Rubino, who is his partner in this exhibit.

Mr Rubino has taught sculpture at the National Academy of Fine Arts in New York City, and he is currently teaching at the Silvermine School of Art in New Canaan.

After Mr Rudolf had studied with Mr Rubino for a while, he asked his instructor what should be his next step.

“I told him, I’ve taught you all I can. Now go out and do it!” recalled Mr Rubino, who stood alongside Mr Rudolf as the two conferred about placement of the sculptures in the library’s display case.

Over time, they became friends and collaborators and in 1989, they formed their own business called Rudolf-Rubino Creations. Their goal was to sculpt portrait busts and figures of personalities such as Babe Ruth, Dale Earnhardt, Eddie Giacomin, Randy La Joie, Michael Jordan, Bobby Hull, and Mickey Mantle, and to display and market them.

“I told him if he’d create it, I’d sell it,” said Mr Rudolf.

But it was not long before both men were working in the studio and exhibiting jointly.

“We had a lot of fun doing it, and we met the most interesting people. We met Babe Ruth’s daughter after I finished his bust, and we were lucky to hook up with the Yankees and the Rangers,” said Mr Rubino.

Today, the two friends are working separately again on other projects, but their decade spent creating the sports legends has been a happy memory for both.