“My dad, Robert Kuntz, had a strong connection to spirit; creativity would flow through him as his sculptures would seemingly form themselves. He would spend countless hours finishing his work to perfection, turning a tedious job into a peaceful meditation. I remember watching my dad work when I was younger, noticing how content he was while lost in his own imaginative world, wondering if I will ever discover this world for myself. He has inspired and continues to inspire me as an artist and as a human being, his work being a reminder that all we do in this world, we should do with love. My dad’s heart shines bright through his art and his spirit lives on through the sculptures he has left behind for all of us to cherish and enjoy.”
– Elizabeth Kuntz, daughter
Robert Kuntz, Sculptor
1925 - 2018
Robert Kuntz was a lifelong resident of South Bend. He graduated from Riley High School, and studied at the Chicago Art Institute, the Contemporary Art Workshop in Chicago, and at IUSB. His employment background included working for Raymond Lowey and for Studebaker Packard as a clay modeler. He also spent time designing church furnishings at St. Christopher’s Workshop in Bremen. He taught sculpture at St. Mary’s College and Goshen College. From 1961 to 2014, Bob was the owner/manager of Model Tech Display Studio, a woodworking shop specializing in industrial packaging, moldings and turnings, retiring at age 89.
Throughout his life, Bob’s real interest was in sculpture. He worked mainly in wood and welded steel, creating stylized birds and human figures as well as religious forms and abstract pieces. He exhibited his smaller sculptures in many local galleries and in Chicago and Springfield, Illinois. In addition, he had commissions for several local public works:
TRILITHON
Cor-ten steel, near Morris Performing Arts Center, South Bend, 1974
EAGLE
Welded steel, in Leeper Park, South Bend
MEMBERSHIP
Wood, in Teacher’s Credit Union headquarters’ lobby, South Bend, 1986
STANDING TALL
A 9/11 Memorial, Cor-ten steel, at St. Patrick’s County Park, South Bend, 2003
VOLATUS AQUILAE (EAGLE IN FLIGHT)
Stainless steel eagle on Cor-Ten steel base, south side of the river, Riverwalk Park, Mishawaka, 2005
CIRCLE OF LIFE
Bob’s last and largest commission, three bird forms constructed of stainless steel on Cor-Ten steel supports, north side of the river, Riverwalk Park, Mishawka, 2013
Volatus Aquilae (Eagle in Flight)
Stainless steel eagle on Cor-Ten steel base, south side of the river, Riverwalk Park, Mishawaka, Indiana, 2005