“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.” – George Bernard Shaw
The following pieces by Sterett – Gittings Kelsey are available thru the Connecticut Art Gallery by appointment only. If you are interested in investment-grade art we are proud to offer this work by such an accomplished artist. Pricing ranges all the way from $3,000 to $1,800,000. Sizes range from a few inches to a larger-than-life 9′ running man. Contact Director, Stephen Schappert 203-994-3950 to discuss your needs and desires.
Felicity Foote: former Choreographer for the Royal Ballet London England & Director of the Greenwich Ballet Workshop
” The Kelsey Bronzes have surpassed those of Edgar Degas. These exquisite works of fine art are radiant with beauty, the energy of youth and brilliantly capture the complex movements of dance. These are the finest Dance Sculptures ever produced. Kelsey is the Degas of our time.”
Erwin Hauer: Professor Emeritus Sculpture Yale University School of Art New Haven Connecticut U.S.A.
“In My view, Kelsey is one of the most outstanding sculptors of the human figure in the United States and in her speciality: Sculpture referring to Dance, she does not have an equal in the world.
Kelsey’s sense of impending movement is outstanding; her handling of the balance and proportion is invariably exquisite, and her sense of scale is excellent. Added to this high level of artistic and professional mastery is her unwavering commitment to her art.
The amount of outstanding work she has produced in her lifetime, so far, is nothing short of awesome! This is my professional opinion of an artist whose work I have been admiring and whose career I have been following for more than thirty years.”
Peter Hastings Falk Madison, Connecticut Fine-Art Appraiser … Art Historian … Founder and Editor-in-chief of Artnet.com … ArtPrice.com … AskArt.com … and DiscoveriesinAmericanArt.com
“This essay proposes that if Degas is accepted as the undisputed Master Painter of Dance..specifically ballet…. then the subject’s undisputed Master Sculptor of Dance is Sterett-Gittings Kelsey” ( the full article posted above)
Frederick G Sternau Littlejohn-Sternau Gallery NY Art Holdings International Waccabuc NY
“Personally I have been deeply involved in Painting and Sculpture through “Art Holdings International” and “The Littlejohn-Sternau Gallery in New York. In my opinion, Kelsey is the first true “Master of Movement” since the death of Edgar Degas in 1917. I wholeheartedly agree with Erwin Hauer, professor emeritus of Sculpture; Yale University who states: that when referring to the Kelsey dancers captured in bronze; that she does not have an equal in the world.
Hiram H. Hoelzer Greenwich CT Fine Art Appraiser and Conservator
“Kelsey is the greatest sculptor of the dance living today”
Johnny Eliasen Principal Dancer Royal Danish Ballet Ballet Master of Royal Danish Ballet 1994 – 2000 Copenhagen DK
“I have seen the series of photographs which show the work of an American sculptor, Sterett-Gittings Kelsey, and was asked if the movement and positioning of this dance figure were executed correctly. I can confirm that indeed it is! Further, I can say that I was delighted to see the “gracious lightness” which this figure expresses even in a photograph… with its delicately sculptured hands and feet.”
Robert Brown Butler Architect Author Mahopac NY
“Whether you prefer a bronze sculpture for a town square or a museum, for your yard or entrance hall, for your coffee table or bed- stand, the world-renowned artistry of Sterett-Gittings Kelsey is outstanding and appropriate. Surely she has that gift of “transcendent emotivity” so precious and grand, which makes the soul tremble.”
Germain Glidden Founder and Chairman
The National Art Museum of Sport Indianapolis IN
“Kelsey demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the human figure and superbly executes her sculpture with a charm and grace which will stand the test of time, alongside the works of Edgar Degas.”
Henriette Goodman Dancer Choreographer South Salem NY
“Kelsey’s dancers are mirthful. They glow in the sheer excitement of being alive. They are drenched in the sunlight of innocence and youth, and they beam in the glorious eloquence of classical ballet. They reach outward, upward and beyond. They bend and they crouch. They lean, tumble, toss and extend. They stand tall and confident and they stand free. Kelsey’s dancers invite us to live, feel and breathe. “Come dance with me!” say they. “Come dance with me”, say they! Flowing from the hands of the sculptor to the soul of the dancer, with buoyancy and grace, majesty and strength, Kelsey gives us the essence of dance.”
Hal Katzen Fine Art Appraiser New York City, NY
“After having had the pleasure of visiting Kelsey’s studio, one is confronted directly with the figure in motion; the subject of dance; a light movement, which is hard to capture. Kelsey seems to have taken the heavy material of bronze and made it become light and graceful. Her knowledge of art history and dance plays a major role in making her figures truly her own. They have a firm place in the history of art.”
Shope Reno Wharton Associates Architects Greenwich CT
“For 5,000 years we have expressed our awareness through art and architecture. Virtually all societies from Mesopotamia through the Renaissance embraced the arts as a whole…made up of architecture, painting, sculpture, etc., each contributing to the other’s success within a meaningful; built environment. The most important sculptures from Venus to David were a part of the buildings when they were conceived. During the past two centuries, the bond between art and architecture has been broken by the rapid industrialization of the world, creating many places that are aesthetically and emotionally void.
Sterett-Gittings Kelsey is a sculptor whose work is graceful, provocative, and beautiful; with the ability to contribute on many levels. Her figures have the strength to be a meaningful extension of their architectural surroundings while being simultaneously delicate enough to set aside the assumptions of the 20th Century and look inward to reunite sculpture and architecture.”
Steve Newman Fine Arts American and European Sculpture Stamford CT
“I have recently been asked by Sterett-Gittings Kelsey to view her sculpture and write an opinion of her work. I am writing an honest opinion and am in no way being compensated for my opinion. I was absolutely captivated by her sculptures relating to the Dance. These figures and poses are absolutely lifelike and extremely realistic. The quality of the castings is wonderful and the multi-colored patinas are magnificent! I cannot remember seeing any sculptures which evoke the same feelings of beauty that these gems possess. I hope that she will continue to create these magnificent sculptures for a long time to come.”
Joseph Keiffer Fine Art Appraiser New York City NY
“I have examined a large and representative cross-section of Sterett-Gittings Kelsey’s sculpture, and I can say without reservation that it is outstanding work in both conception and execution. Kelsey is an artist who has had the rare strength to ignore the enormous pressures put on artists of our time to “be modern” and “ look contemporary”, and by doing so, she has done more to revive the art of sculpture than a hundred trendier, but less conscientious sculptors will ever do. The execution is distinctively her own and her focus on dances and dancers gives her a special niche in the history of sculpture. Kelsey’s work has vitality and strength, and this is perhaps owing in equal parts to a fine sense of proportion and to knowing when to stop before over-working a piece.
Art will continue to evolve beyond the fad current in our lifetimes, and, it is difficult to imagine that when the bricks, blocks, and fieldstones which now pass as fine art have been put away, that work of Kelsey’s caliber can continue to be overlooked.”
Trained at Sotheby’s in London; Keiffer was employed by Sotheby’s New York, for six years, after which he became Director of the Painting Department at William Doyle Galleries, where he handled appraisals of painting and sculpture. Joseph Keiffer, now a private dealer and appraiser, has his own firm in New York City.
Robert D. Lasus Sculptor Philadelphia PA
“The significance and validity of Sterett’s work are that it carries the insight of personal involvement and years of intense observation. Her dancers, whether maquettes, finished small figures, or life-sized figures are not only accurately and beautifully modeled, but carry with them the essence of dance, in its expression of grace, rhythm, and passion. The only artist by whom she can be measured is Degas.” “Sterett-Gittings Kelsey is a dedicated sculptor. In the years I have known her, she has never stopped pursuing her art. Her education, portfolio, and resume speak for themselves: A Bachelor of Fine arts from the premier art and design school: The Rhode Island School of Design in Providence Rhode Island: an immense body of work; associations with galleries and fine art production corporations; and numerous sculptures in public places and private collections.”
James Knowles Sculptor Stamford CT BA: Yale University New Haven Connecticut MFA University Pennsylvania
“Sterett is one committed; productive sculptor. She has a special gift with wax figures, which is remarkable. She has concentrated on the Dance and is a master of it. She’s a top professional in the field.”
Jennifer Koridze RAD Classical Ballet Dancer Cirque du Soleil Batumi Country of Georgia
“Your lines are incredible! I knew a few gifted artists in L.A. and in the Bay Area, but, I’ve never seen any who captured a ballet line so well in this media.”
Theodore Zimmerman, M.A. Fine Artist President of the Theodore Zimmerman Art Foundation and the Society of Arts Academy
” Hi, I watched your video on your website and I enjoyed your sculptures. My association with the sculptor Alberto Giacometti, Montparnasse, Paris, in 1953 gave me a feeling that I was in the presence of a master of sculpture. This feeling has now returned when seeing your sculptures.”
Kristina A. Horn Dancer, Artist, and Educator New Jersey
“As a dancer, I was enraptured by her understanding of the human form, proper body alignment, and the subtle details of dance that are so often lost by other artists. The depth and breadth of her work amazed me.”
Dr. Liz Ugaz Director of Classical Ballet Miami Florida “This piece, (Clara and her Beloved Nutcracker) inspires in me, details only a ballet dancer can feel. Though resting, the dancer is under perfect alignment. The Perfect alignment of structure, when it exists, can be observed in every part of the body. Perfect and Poetic.”
Karen G. Benson Artist and Poet Pennsylvania
How beautifully you capture the Art of Dance. So delicate…
Yet deliberate… In form… Instance… Without hesitation… Or Another Glance … Dance … Dance Ballerina Dance.
Judith (Lerner)Taylor former soloist for American Ballet Theater NYC
Ceramic Artist at: www.Etsy.com/shop/EarthDancesPottery
” Your work is gorgeous! Your sculpture is among the very few pieces that truly depict the movement… exhilaration… and… line… of a ballerina.”
James Frechette Applause Dance Factory Dance School in Ridgeland, Mississippi
“This is where true excellence and the knowledge of dance exists.’