1170 - The Artist by Dr. Richard "Bru" Brubaker

The metal sculpture, titled “The Artist,” was created by Richard Brubaker, a Rochester metal sculptor. This contemporary art piece is made out of Corten steel, a special metal designed to rust quickly and evenly, providing a stable, rich patina. The figure stands six feet high above the cement platform and is lit up at night. Note that the torso of the figure is shaped like an artist’s palette; hence the reason for its title, “The Artist.” In the lower left corner, in stainless-steel, is the sculptor’s signature “Bru,” the nickname friends and colleagues always called him. Brubaker donated this metal work of art to the City of Rochester in 2018 as part of the Art4Trails program.

Before creating sculptures, Richard Brubaker had a 30-year career in ophthalmology at Mayo Clinic. He took early retirement in 2000 and set up an art studio on a farm near Rochester, where he began to design and produce metal sculptures. He had prior experience in the field because during medical school, he earned money working as a part-time machinist, thereby acquiring many metal working skills. As an ophthalmologist and visual scientist, he continued doing metal work, fabricating instruments to use for his research. During his artistic career, Brubaker made over 200 art pieces in steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, both large and small. In addition to “The Artist,” Brubaker donated four other sculptures to the City of Rochester, one behind the Rochester Civic Center and three others in Soldiers Memorial Field Park.

At the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust's Ardee Awards event in 2017, Brubaker was honored to receive the Mayor's Award for Public Art.

Brubaker died from cancer in 2018. He received the Mayor’s Medal of Honor posthumously for his distinguished medical career and for advocating and creating public art in Rochester.

Thank you for listening and continue to explore all the incredible art along the Med City Talking Trail.