I awoke this morning to the news that a great Philadelphia sculptor, colleague and neighbor of mine, Bob Phillips, has passed away as a result of an accident in his metalworking shop in North Philadelphia,
You can learn more about Bob and his work, and read a wonderful article about him from the Philadelphia Daily News, by visiting the Philips Metal web site.
I came to know Bob and his wife Cheryl after they were selected to create the Metamorphosis sculpture in Fairmount Park, a project I helped manage for the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program while a partner at Brown and Keener Bressi. It was an ambitious and challenging project for his studio and for Mural Arts, and I will never forget the sessions in his workshop where Bob and engineer Darin Gatti, his motorcycle parked right out outside the studio, figured out how the structures of five enormous butterflies would stand up. It was joyful. And then I learned, on the day of installation, that Bob needed all the time he could get, so he trucked the steel butterfly sculptures to the site the day before, then slept in the park overnight to guard them until they could be affixed to their bases.
Bob lived nearby with his family, and I would see him from time to time at our town’s Hallowe’en Parade (artist-designed costumes) or Fourth of July Celebration, or I would meet up with his wife Cheryl to review his portfolio and talk about what projects he could apply for. Whenever I crossed paths with them, I was reminded how much I admired his passion and the joyfulness of what he did, and how I relished the joy of visiting a studio like his.
My heart and prayers go out to his family, Cheryl, Aiden and Emma. Bob and his spirit will be sorely missed.