Sculpture Runs in the Family

Jack Turner, a ninth-grade student at Broadwater Academy, recently submitted his portfolio of original

sculpture to the College Board in completion of his Advanced Placement 3-D Art and Design course

requirements. Enrollment in this course is unusual for ninth-graders, but Turner, an avid artist, has more

experience in sculpting than most students his age, thanks in part to his family’s well-established creative

footprint on the Eastern Shore.

Turner is the son of David Turner, and grandson of William Turner, both of whom design and create cast

wildlife sculptures in bronze at their Turner Sculpture foundry near Onley. “Sculpture was always something

around,” Jack says of growing up in the Turner family. “My dad would work and tell us every part of the

sculpting process. He always creates a lot of character within his sculptures. They are all individual animals to

him.”

Turner’s own series of sculptures in clay, which he made over the course of the academic year, examine avian

life, color, and emotion. Through his investigation, Jack explored how shifting proportions, posture, and surface

detail can emphasize traits such as strength, fragility, and grace. His work earned him a blue ribbon in the

Broadwater Art Show, and it demonstrates not only immense technical ability but also a synthesis of materials,

processes, and ideas in a way that elevates his work. Through his sculptures, Jack honors a family tradition of

artistic excellence while contributing a fresh chapter to the Turner family’s creative story.

Broadwater Academy is the premier learning community on the Eastern Shore of Virginia for

pre-K – 12 education.

With a challenging curriculum, talented instructors, and a diverse student body, Broadwater develops the next

generation of respectful, civic-minded leaders and productive citizens.