“I am drawn to nineteenth century industrial design, innovation and industrial techniques.”

Born in Ohio, Ted Metz received his BFA from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia and the MFA in sculpture from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.  He joined the faculty at the University of Montevallo in 1973 and retired as professor Emeritus in 2016.  During his tenure at the University, Ted has received many teaching awards including:  University Scholar, Distinguished Teacher of the Year, Outstanding Commitment to Teaching, and Alabama Professor of the Year, a national award presented by the Carnegie Foundation.

Creatively, Metz has been successful in exhibiting his sculpture in numerous exhibitions, including those in Venice and Cortona, Italy, and the National Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.  He has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and has been awarded the Visual Arts Fellowship from the State of Alabama in 1986 and 2014.  He continues to be a productive sculptor producing smaller indoor works while also pursuing opportunities for large public commissioned work.  

Artist Statement

The production of sculpture and the teaching of sculpture have in large measure defined my life. I am continually grateful for the satisfaction received in both pursuits. I acknowledge that as a young man it was another artist /teacher that inspired me creatively, technically, and personally and gave me the tools to pursue my careers as a sculptor and educator.

My work has evolved over recent years into abstract mixed media assemblages made from a wide variety of materials. The use of cast aluminum, cast bronze, cast glass, cast iron, vintage tools, various structural steels and others are my materials of choice and used in varying degrees in my recent work. 

I am drawn to nineteenth century industrial design, innovation and industrial techniques. I use old tools in the production of my work and now they are finding their way into the work itself. I love the unknown history of these old tools and materials and seek to honor the craftsmen and trades they represent.

While my sculpture has a similar aesthetic the subject matter changes. I work in series which means the work falls under umbrella headings; Honoring The Trades, Master/Apprentice, The Consequences Of Extraction and Layout / Locator are the names some of the series in which I work. 

The sculptures are considered, engineered and well crafted. I choose not to overly alter the materials by restoring or refining them. Instead I let the materials and the manner in which they were found, cast or fabricated stand. Rust, layout lines, welds, grinding marks, and naturally distressed surfaces are important features of this work.