On Sunday, July 19, 2020, Lisa Goldman gave a presentation on the life of her late father, Herb Goldman, focusing on his sculptural contributions in the Albuquerque area. The presentation was live-streamed on the Albuquerque Historical Society’s Facebook Page.
Herb Goldman (1922 – 2012) was born and raised in Detroit, where he began the formal study of sculpture with Samuel Cashwan at the age of 12. As the head of the WPA Art Program’s sculpture division in Michigan, Cashwan trained the young artist in the materials and methods of large scale sculpture. Following his high school graduation and experience working for a mold and model-making shop in New York City, Goldman served in the Navy during WWII.
After the war, Goldman moved to Albuquerque and enrolled at the University of New Mexico. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1949, then applied his wide range of skills—including sculpture, ceramics, welding, drawing, and design—to works that could be seen across Albuquerque. By 1951, Goldman completed commissions for the Medical Arts Building, the Bank of New Mexico, Temple Albert, and St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. In addition to commissions, Goldman exhibited his art at Botts Memorial Hall, Jonson Gallery, and the Albuquerque Modern Museum, an artist-run organization that he co-founded. During his twenty years here Goldman created many more works in Albuquerque. Goldman also lived in Los Angeles and the Dallas metroplex.
Read Margaret Randall On Herb Goldman
Lisa began interviewing her father, Herb Goldman, in 2000 and compiled a history of his sculptures and architectural projects. She worked for a number of years completing this history and accompanying photographic documentation. Lisa assisted Dale Kruzic, documentary film producer, in creating a documentary about her father. After Herb’s passing, Lisa assisted Augustine Romero, Gallery Curator, in obtaining artwork for the show Albuquerque Art, A Look Back: Avant-Garde Albuquerque Artists of the 1940s and ‘50s, held at the South Broadway Cultural Center in 2013. At the reception of the show, the Albuquerque Film Office sponsored a screening of the film, Herb Goldman: A Lifetime of Limitless Possibility.
Lisa Bear Goldman was born in Albuquerque and attended Garfield Middle School before her family moved to Santa Fe and then Arizona. She earned a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Arizona and worked as a counselor in Arizona for 25 years. Lisa returned home to Albuquerque in 2005. She then worked as a counselor for Albuquerque Public Schools for 12 years and is now retired.
Lisa has served 24 years on the Board of Directors of the Art Has Heart Foundation, a nonprofit founded by J.B. & Amado Peña that supports arts education scholarships. She also serves on the Board of Modern Albuquerque.
Lisa is the author of three children’s books. She has a miniature donkey, Burrito, who is the main character of two of her books. Lisa’s latest book, The Gift of Wonder, was a Nautilus Book Awards Gold Medal Winner. www.lisabeargoldman.com
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