Lincoln, the Frontiersman

Avard T. Fairbanks
American, (1897–1987)

​Lincoln, the Frontiersman, 1958

Bronze, 4' x 2.25' x 2'

Museum Purchase with the President’s Fund for Sculpture, NEHMA

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A native of Utah, Avard T. Fairbanks was a nationally renowned sculptor, anatomist, and educator. He was also the founding Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah. As an artist, Fairbanks is best known for his statues depicting historical figures, and former Presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington are among his most common subjects. Fairbanks had extensive experience dissecting facial muscles, a skill that allowed him to accurately capture emotional expressions in his art. These portrait busts, which Fairbanks cast in bronze, are located by east entrance to Old Main Building, which houses the USU President’s office in addition to several academic departments such as History, Political Science, and Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology.