About us
For over 30 years we have shared all that we have learned about sculpture with hundreds of students. Our path has led us from New York City art studios, galleries, and museums to working in bronze foundries, mold making shops and on scaffolding to restore church steeples.
We have worked alongside many of the last century’s most renowned sculptors. The broad scope of our experiences has given us a comprehensive command of what it takes to create good sculpture. We are now offering our classes on line to share this with all of you. Welcome to The Sculpture Class.
Debra Flocco studied sculpture at The National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts in New York City with Gabriel Koren, as well as in Pietrasanta Italy with Bruno Lucchesi. She went from the art academy to working in Ceracast bronze foundry and at the same time became the youngest member of the National Sculpture Society. Her work has been shown at the National Academy of Design, the Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center, the Chesterwood Museum, the National Arts Club, and the National Sculpture Society, to name a few. Numerous private collections feature her sculpture.
Debra Flocco studied sculpture at The National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts in New York City with Gabriel Koren, as well as in Pietrasanta Italy with Bruno Lucchesi. She went from the art academy to working in Ceracast bronze foundry and at the same time became the youngest member of the National Sculpture Society.
Her work has been shown at the National Academy of Design, the Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center, the Chesterwood Museum, the National Arts Club, and the National Sculpture Society, to name a few. Numerous private collections feature her sculpture.
Debra’s awards include:
- The National Academy of Design Presidents Prize
- Gold Medal of Honor, Knickerbocker Artists
- Silver Medal of Honor, Allied Artists
- National Sculpture Society Mildred Victor Memorial Prize
- Solo Exhibition Award, Pen and Brush Club
- Argos Foundry Award, Salmagundi Club
- Art Renewal Award
- Chesterwood Museum First Prize, awarded by the curator of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Her sculpture has been featured in numerous publications, including Sculpture Review and Art Revue. Debra began teaching in her New York Soho studio over 30 years ago. Those years have shown her the powerful healing potential of sculpture. She has worked with students who have been challenged with Alzheimer’s, physical disabilities, cancer recovery, autism and PTSD. Working with wounded soldiers as well as cadets, her sculpture workshop was the inaugural event of The Creative Arts Project at West Point Academy in 2012. Debra Flocco graduated cum laude from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT;
William Gnichtel sculpting portrait of Chief Silent Wolf, head of the Ramapo Indians
William Gnichtel is a classically trained figurative artist who has studied at the National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts with Avel deKnight (Drawing) and Peter Rubino (Sculpture). He has worked as an artist assistant, sculptor, mold maker, and caster to the following:
Bryan Hunt Jasper Johns
Kiki Smith Beverly Pepper
Allan McCollum Tom Otterness
Alex Grey William G. Tucker
Greg Glasson Alexsander Danel
Greg Wyatt Richard McDermott Miller
Robert Berks Jonathan Silver
Princess Marina of Greece
INSTALLATIONS
- moldmaking, pedestal design & fabrication for over 20 pieces of sculpture installed at Vanderbilt University and Shakespeare’s Garden at Stratford on Avon, England for Newington-Cropsey Foundation
- sculpted & molded larger than life size cast stone animal sculptures for children’s parks in New York City for Londino stone
- head of sculpting crew for Peter Rubino on fifty foot sculpture of David Copperfield
- worked on the pattern of The Times Square Coke Bottle in New York City for M.J.M Studios
- cast concrete art pieces by Brit Bunkley “Bay Shore Icons” for Long Island Railroad, Bay Shore Station
- molded & cast life size sculptures by Scott Siken for L platform 14th Street Station, New York City
- worked on plaster architectural sculpture for Douglas Elliman installation, Metropolitan Home Showhouse 2 To Benefit DIFFA — Design Industries Foundation For AIDS, Estate of Keith Haring ( for charity through M.J.M Studios )
RESTORATION, ARCHITECTURAL (worked as independent contractor or as site moldmaker for M.J.M Studios)
- Grand Central Station, New York City (M.J.M)
- The Gainsborough Studios, New York City (M.J.M)
- The Woolworth Building, New York City (M.J.M)
- The Flat Iron Building, New York City (M.J.M)
- The First Presbyterian Church, New York City (M.J.M)
- Fordham University, New York City (M.J.M)
- St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New York City (I.C)
- West Point N.Y. (I.C)
- Carnegie Hall, New York City (M.J.M)
INDEPENDENT MOLDMAKER, PATTERN MAKER, WAX CASTER and SCULPTOR
- Johnson Atelier
- M.J.M Studios
- Tallix Art Foundry
- Newington-Cropsey Foundation
- Art Foundry
- Modern Art Foundry
- Bedi-Makky Art Foundry
- Argos Foundry
- Greg Wyatt at The Cathedral of St. John The Divine
- Londino Stone
TEACHING
William Gnichtel has taught at Columbia University and The Newington-Cropsey Foundation. Over the Past 15 years he has taught Sculpture, Moldmaking and Casting at The Sculpture Studio.