THE LITTLE SENTINEL
Wednesday, May 28, 1980
“Black leader’s spirit to live on in sculpture”
Written By: Sharon Gholdston
Photos by: Andrew J. Hickman
Please Note: The original article’s publication spelled Wolf’s name incorrectly, adding an E at the end. You will find many articles spelling his name wrong in the archives. It is corrected in the transcript below.
Sculptor Whitney Wolf talks with lively animation as he discusses his work on a sculpture of Ruby M. Ball. "It was a triumphant moment for me when her husband and daughter viewed the bust and said it was good," Wolf remarked as his fingers smoothed the hairline and defined the jawline. "I feel very close to this woman ... and her family. I feel closer to the black community as a result of this work."
This closeness to a woman he has never met, Wolf says, was spawned in part by the many hours he spent poring over old pictures and by repeated interviews with her survivors. It was spawned in part by the 25 hours he spent repeatedly sketching her face in an attempt to create an accurate likeness of the woman.
And it was spawned in part by the spirit of Ruby Ball, who was one of the founders of Winter Park's Council on Human Relations.
"I feel this is an important work because she was a black and a woman and a leader in her community. She was a great woman," said Wolf, who is resident sculptor at the Crealde Art Center and has been commissioned to create a bronze bust to memorialize Mrs. Ball.
Mrs. Ball, who died last July 5 at the age of 70, was a teacher in Orange County for 42 years and a 30-year member of the human relations council and its president at the time of her death. She also was instrumental in establishing the Winter Park Community Center in her primarily black west-side community. To honor her memory, friends who have incorporated as the Citizens Memorial Group have persuaded the city to name an annex to the community center in Mrs. Ball's honor.
The annex, which now houses the community's Head Start program, was formerly Hannibal Elementary School where Mrs. Ball taught for many years. A bronze bust and plaque - which Wolf hopes to complete in mid-June - will be placed in front of the annex, and Mrs. Ball's name will appear on the side of the building, said Dr. Oscar Sistrunk, a member of the memorial group.
To date, Wolf, a 32-year-old University of Central Florida graduate, has spent more than 70 hours producing the clay bust, which is the first step in the bronze-casting process. Wolf said he expects to spend at least 70 more hours producing first wax, then ceramic molds and finally the hollow, silica bronze bust that will be placed outside the annex. The bust and plaque will require about 60 pounds of bronze and will cost $1,400 when complete, Wolf said.
Using a combination of the realism drawn from his study of pictures spanning 40 years of Mrs. Ball's life, and the smooth, simple lines of classical let, Greek sculptors, Wolf said he believes he has created a likeness that will be "a timeless representation of Ruby Ball's spiritual self and not just her face."
"Five of the most respected artists in the area have counseled with me on this," said Wolf, who has sandwiched work on the bust in between classes he teaches at the art center and personal projects. The bust, complete with glasses worn by Mrs. Ball, rests in Wolf's Crealde workshop and is rounded by the prolific sculptor's works in wood, clay and stone.
When Loretta Ball, Mrs. Ball's daughter, viewed the bust recently her praise of Wolf's work came in the form of one simple statement: "Mother looks so pleasant." And that, said Wolf, is one of his major goals with the project, "to preserve the pleasantness of youth and the maturity of old age in the same representation." John Litton, assistant city manager, said the city and the memorial group will share the cost of the project. "We don't know yet what the exact dollars and cents will be, but there will be a sharing of the cost, and city personnel will do such work as preparing the ground for the bust and putting lettering on the building."
Sistrunk said his group hopes for a July 4 weekend unveiling ceremony to which state, county and city officials, friends of Mrs. Ball and her family will be invited. "We want a very, very appropriate ceremony and not just a simple unveiling," he said. He said the dedication ceremony will likely include a "very special speaker which has yet to be chosen" and a musical program. The exact date of the ceremony will be set when Wolf completes his work, Sistrunk said.