Littleton Alston grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. As a child he rode his bike to the U.S. Capitol, gazing up at the larger than life bronze heroes. "For me," Alston says, "they were almost like Olympian gods -- they didn't look like me, that's for sure!" But over time those figures spoke to him. And inspired in him a dream to create something equally monumental. He had no way of knowing that half a century later he would be the first African American artist to contribute a work destined for Statuary Hall. A Sculpted Life is a 30 minute documentary about an artist's journey -- from the horror of the 1968 DC riots, to his lucky break as a student at The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, to the fulfillment of his dream -- creating sculptures that help define the city of Omaha and the Creighton University campus, where he teaches sculpture. And now he's won his most important commission yet -- to create a 7 foot bronze likeness of one of America's greatest writers for permanent display in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. Willa Cather's novels created a new vision of the American frontier. Littleton Alston wants to bring that spirit to her statue.
Broadcast In: English Duration: 0:27:20