My name is Woody Stauffer, and I’m from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The transformative power of art has led my life from a high school punk rock musician to a multi-material sculptor. Recently, I have been experimenting with my 3D printer and digital mold-making. Art has the power to heal, transcend our everyday lives, and empower our communities. There is a lot to experiment and try, and I’m excited to dive into my next life chapter in the land of 10,000 lakes.
What do you now do for a living?
How did you end up choosing this career path? I’m a sculptor and designer under the business name of WSSG Designs. I’m based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and sell my work at art fairs, galleries, and online. Besides working on my own things, I also work as a studio assistant to other artists around me. My two main work studios are with James Brenner Sculpture and the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center folks. Teaching and commission-based work provides me with other income sources. I love to do this, and I have supported myself financially through hard work and dedication.
Why did you choose to attend FHSU?
I heard about the great metal casting facilities for sculpture at FHSU. The new Applied Technology building was a huge deal, and the knowledge of the fantastic artist and professor Toby Flores, whom many of my iron casting colleagues told me about. I knew I wanted to learn about the new career fields of digital design and computer modeling for manufacturing/sculpture as well.
What are your favorite memories from your time as a student?
The camaraderie within the sculpture department was fantastic. Awesome and memorable iron pours with the large furnace we have there. One of these memories is the delicate eagle eye shots of pouring iron into small pour cups using the big new bull ladle that we prepared and set up. Trips to iron casting conferences were also a major highlight.
What advice do you have for current or prospective FHSU students?
Find what you love to do and dive deep into it. Experiment and try things within the field to make new discoveries. Enjoy the process of discovery, and if you don’t enjoy it, try something else. Tell us about someone at FHSU who has left a lasting impression: Sculpture professor Toby Flores is the best. His fun and no-nonsense approach to teaching has left me with many funny and great memories.
In what ways are you proud to be a Tiger?
Fort Hays State is an academic powerhouse at iron sculpture casting throughout the country, and I’m proud that I attended there. Their art facilities and fantastic gallery space for countless generations are certainly something to be proud of. I didn’t previously know this, but my great-aunt went to Fort Hays State University. I have family roots in Kansas, but learning about this history made me even prouder to be a Tiger.
Additional comments:
I just finished my solo exhibition at the Prairie Arts Center in North Platte, Nebraska. The show’s title was “Moldering Metal.” More photos of this show can be found on my Instagram account @wssg. It was the art center’s tenth anniversary. Coincidentally, it was also my tenth anniversary of making cast metal sculptures. Fun times! My business website is wssgdesigns.com, which details more about the mobile aluminum furnace I can take to art centers for public demonstrations and workshops.