Archives for Matia, Walter

The Studio of Walter Matia

The Studio of Walter Matia

August 6, 2026 | by

  Maryland sculptor, Walter Matia, is a practical and pragmatic businessman; he has to be. “Sculpture is a business; you can’t treat it like a hobby,” he says. “There’s way too much money involved and too many things to keep track of.” Becoming a sculptor was a natural step for Matia. From the time he was 16 until he was 23, he worked at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio, alongside the exhibit staff. “I also worked with a taxidermist there, Larry Isard, who was also a sculptor, so I learned a lot about animal anatomy,” he says.
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Balancing Act

Balancing Act

September 20, 2015 | by

As the early morning light steals in, it illuminates a stand of reeds. You watch in anticipation, breathlessly waiting, ready for the full light to capture the scene. Suddenly, as the light reaches a certain peak, a rush of birds—about 20 green-winged teal and mallards—descend as a unit. You hold your breath as the scene unfolds. The birds, exquisite in flight, weightless and graceful in their speed, race to the heights. These waterfowl, however, are not actually out in nature; they are a Walter Matia sculpture that spans an immense, indoor stone wall at business tycoon Boone Pickens’ Mesa Vista
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Sculpture Has to Be Intellectually Beautiful

Sculpture Has to Be Intellectually Beautiful

November 27, 2011 | by

In 1975, when Maryland sculptor Walter Matia graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, he’d already been an active member of the art world for nearly 12 years. With diploma in hand, he set out for Arlington, Virginia. Despite having earned a degree in art design and being an intaglio printmaker, Matia preferred to secure his future using the skills he had honed while earning a degree in biology. Walter Matia (Maryland) High Water Mallards Bronze 80″ High Put corn in water and watch for the warden; bring water to corn, breathe easy and wait with your dog in the
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