Thomas Gaetano LoMedico

Thomas Gaetano LoMedico (July 11, 1904 – November 29, 1985) was an American sculptor and medalist. Born and raised in New York City, his sculpture won awards in the 1930s and 1940s and is now in several American museum collections.

Life and career Thomas Lo Medico was born in Upper East Side Manhattan on July 11, 1904, the son of Philip and Angelina Cimino Lo Medico. His interest in the arts surfaced at a young age and while at PS 13 (Manhattan) he designed posters for neighborhood storefronts to promote the sale of WW I Liberty Bonds. In 1920, at age 16, he was hired as an artist's apprentice in a New York architectural sculpture studio. In the evenings from 1920 thru 1928 he studied at the Beaux Arts Institute of Design.

In 1935, after fifteen years creating architectural sculpture, Lo Medico opened his own studio in New York City. The Great Depression made it difficult for young sculptors to cast and sell small works as collectors still financially in a position to purchase artwork tended to support recognized sculptors such as Paul Manship. At the same time, the New Deal created opportunities for lesser known sculptors to pursue commissions for federal contracts via anonymous competitions. Contracts to create art for Federal Buildings were being administered by the Department of Treasury's Section of Painting and Sculpture The section had been established in 1934 under Edward Bruce, Director of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) with a mission to discover new talent and provide work for unemployed artists. His seven 4.5-foot-high panels depicting scenes of North Carolina people, commerce, and history were collectively titled "History and Present Day Themes Relating to Wilmington and Its Surroundings". The individual panels are titled Stevedores, Fishing, Cotton Pickers, Chemists, The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, The Landing of the English on Roanoke Island, and Education. to embellish the interior of the Crooksville, Ohio Post Office. In April 1940, after the Fair had closed, Family Group was exhibited at the Whitney Museum courtesy of Met Life.

Lo Medico designed his first medal in 1946 for the National Sculpture Society (NSS). The medal in honor of American sculptor Herbert Adams (1958 – 1945) was created as an annual memorial (The Herbert Adams Memorial Award) to recognize individuals and organizations that have significantly encouraged and advanced American sculpture.

Artistic controversy On June 17, 1942, Lo Medico won a $1,000 first prize in a competition to design a public sculpture with the theme "Wings for Victory – The Spirit of Aviation". The competition was sponsored by Artists for Victory, Inc., a consortium of twenty-three artists' organizations. The idea was to create a temporary outdoor sculpture that would promote patriotism and incentivize the purchase of War Bonds. Lo Medico submitted a one-third scale model of a 24-foot-high weather resistant plaster stature depicting a resolute looking WW II aviator in flight suit pulling on gloves. His entry was the unanimous choice of the eleven jurors from among 149 entries and the full size statue was expected to be displayed in a prominent public location. The suggested location was in front of the NY Public Library at 42nd St. & 5th Ave. Newspapers and magazines around the nation publicized the award and published photos of the winning entry.

In August 1942, New York City Mayor, Fiorello La Guardia sent a letter to Artists for Victory. Inc. expressing disapproval of Lo Medico's design. He stated that he would not approve the statue's placement on any city owned property. The mayor was quoted in the press describing the statue as a "piece of second or third-rate art looking for a first-class controversy". Robert Moses, NYC Parks Commissioner concurred and opposed its display in any city park.

Paul Manship, noted sculptor and the Vice-President of Artists for Victory expressed his support for the jury's decision and suggested erecting the stature on private property or in a different city.

In 1980, nearly 40 years later, commenting on this incident, Lo Medico seemed to blame the media for creating the controversy: "I became a mildly notorious subject thanks to the newspapers. …The sculpture was simply a dramatic rendition of a World War II aviator. It was 24-feet-high and, of course, it was going to be placed in one of the most prominent spots in New York City. That was the plan, but Mayor La Guardia, who was then the mayor of New York, for some reason said 'no'. That was it. The newspapers made quite a thing of it. And, of course, artists all over protested the mayor's decision. It was never put in front of the library." At the time of this interview in 1980, the original 8-ft-high competition model of Wings for Victory was on display in Lo Medico's Tappan, NY studio. (1956) J. Sanford Saltus Award for his Medallic Art form the American Numismatic Society. (1952) National Sculpture Society Lindsey Morris Prize for best bas-relief.

Selected works (1936) Seven Reliefs for the "New" Wilmington, North Carolina Post Office. (1938) Family Group sculpture for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair. (1948) Society of Medalists 38th Issue medal - Pursuit of Happiness. (1955–59) Statues of St. John Chrysostom, St. Ignatius, St. Justin, St. Leo, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine for the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C. (1953) University of Puerto Rico 50th Anniversary Medal. (1954) World Council of Churches 2nd Assembly Medal presented to attendees at the August 1954 Conference in Evanston, Illinois. (1958) American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Recognition Medal. for the exterior of the new City Hall. (1964) Students anodized bronze relief for Junior High School No 7, Staten Island, NY. (1965) National Commemorative Society Paul Revere Medal. (1966) Medallic Art Co. Hall of Fame for Great Americans Series: Patrick Henry Medal. (1968) American Negro Commemorative Society Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable Medal. (1968) National Sculpture Society 75th Anniversary Medal. (1970) Texas Astronauts Medal of Valor and presented to Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins in recognition of the first Moon landing.