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<\/p>\nWayne Hyde works on the initial model of a monument of the musical duo The Everly Brothers. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski <\/p>\n
BEDFORD \u2014 The middle child of three boys, artist and renowned sculptor Wayne Hyde grew up on his parents dairy farm near Manns Choice, Bedford County, where the brothers hunted, fished or played in the woods when not busy with school or farm work.<\/p>\n
They were \u201cthree ordinary country boys,\u201d Hyde said, but with their mom being a skilled seamstress and their dad drawing and making figurines from clay, it\u2019s not hard to see where Hyde got his talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brothers both became skilled craftsmen and I must have inherited the same family artistic gene,\u201d Hyde said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as I remember, I was drawing, painting or trying to create figures.\u201d <\/p>\n
While Hyde makes his home in Bedford County, his life-sized and larger bronze sculptures can be found not only in downtown Bedford, but also in towns dotted across the U.S., including Maryville and Knoxville, Tennessee; Chester, New Jersey, and Clinton, Missouri. <\/p>\n
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The Everly Brothers monument is designated for installation in a special themed music park in Knoxville. Wayne Hyde is creating the initial model for the legendary musical duo popular between 1951-73.
\n Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski <\/p>\n
Across the pond, Bucking\u00adham Palace is home to a smaller gallery piece. \u201cThe Charge\u201d was commissioned in 2009 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, depicting a Mountie on horseback in a full speed charge. The first piece was given to Queen Elizabeth and it is that piece that can be viewed in Buckingham Palace. Additional pieces of \u201cThe Charge\u201d have been given as gifts to visiting heads of state. <\/p>\n
Much of Hyde\u2019s work is in the form of memorials honoring soldiers \u2014 from the Civil War, Vietnam War and World War II \u2014 along with firefighters and police. His work can\u2019t be pigeonholed though, as he is currently working on a monument of the musical group The Everly Brothers and he also has wildlife pieces depicting elk and wolves among others.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s known for his attention to detail, historical accuracy and the way he seems to imbue his creations with soul, making them come alive to the viewer.<\/p>\n
Getting to the point today where he is confident in his abilities \u201ctook some doing,\u201d he admits. <\/p>\n
\u201cBasically, I am self-taught as an artist,\u201d Hyde said with a smile. \u201cI am at a good place with my art. God gave me a measure of talent, but I always felt it was my responsibility to continue to improve. It has been a long tough road but I feel extremely fortunate to have my work so well accepted and for my strong following in the bronze art world. I am confident enough in my ability that at this point I want to relax and simply do the type of work I want to do and that I find personally satisfying and inspiring.\u201d <\/p>\n
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A firefighter is portrayed in \u201cWhen Seconds Count\u201d by Wayne Hyde. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski <\/p>\n
Passion traced to childhood<\/p>\n
Hyde\u2019s work is a passion that can be traced to his formative years, when he would use leftover pie dough to make various creations. He would also cut boxes apart and use tape to create 3D objects.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was about 10 years old, a neighbor lady taking ceramic classes would bring me clay that I used to make some of my early work. When I was finished she would take them back to class and have them fired. These became my first permanent creations,\u201d Hyde said.<\/p>\n
While life on a farm brings its own kind of inspiration, Hyde said his family received a subscription to National Geographic magazine and that became his window to the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned about different cultures, exotic wildlife and a lot about history,\u201d he said .<\/p>\n
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Wayne Hyde\u2019s sculpture, \u201cEyes of the Forest,\u201d portrays an Eastern Woodland warrior prepared for battle. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski <\/p>\n
Throughout high school, Hyde focused on art and after graduation, attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. <\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to take fine arts but I was advised to take commercial art instead,\u201d he said, adding \u201cI was told getting a job in the fine art field was extremely difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
What he didn\u2019t realize at the time was that someone who is truly an artist and is passionate about their art is actually in business for themselves. <\/p>\n
\u201cTheir art is their personal product, produced by their vision and skill, the value of which is determined by the market,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is no \u2018job\u2019 in the normal sense. I spent over two years completing commercial art training and learned a great deal about perspective, scale, colors, etc. and how it applied to my personal interest, but my goal remained to become an artist in the fine arts.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the end of the course, several companies visited the school to view the students\u2019 work, Hyde said, noting that representatives from Hallmark liked his work as they were marketing a line of small seasonal figurines.<\/p>\n
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A closeup of Wayne Hyde’s sculpture, “Eyes of the Forest.”
\nMirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski <\/p>\n
The job meant that he would have to relocate to Ohio and live in the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had just spent several years living in Pittsburgh and I knew two things \u2014 I wanted art to be an important part of my life and I didn\u2019t want to live in a city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Instead, he returned to Bedford County and the family farm where he continued to hone his craft. Using a synthetic clay cured in a conventional oven allowed him to produce and sell artwork directly to customers, making some money while improving his skills and the quality of his work. <\/p>\n
In 1990, at the age of 31, Hyde married and moved to Carlsbad, New Mexico, where his wife had a job.<\/p>\n
It was a good time to be an artist, as New Mexico was attracting people searching for a relaxed lifestyle. Hyde was able to sell his art work, sculptures and paintings \u2014 though he still had to supplement his income with other work \u2014 and he continued to fine tune his techniques. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wayne-Hyde-The-Firefighter-shortly-after-it-was-removed-from-mold-630x840.jpg\")
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Wayne Hyde\u2019s sculpture, \u201cWhen Seconds Count,\u201d is seen shortly after it was removed from a mold.
\nCourtesy photo<\/p>\n
He ended up working as a firefighter after meeting a local biologist and wildfire firefighters who were building wildlife projects.<\/p>\n
He also continued to be involved in the arts community, where he met Curtis Fort, a real cowboy turned successful bronze artist specializing in western art. <\/p>\n
That meeting was the first step in what would become Hyde\u2019s favored line of work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was attracted to bronze because it is a permanent form of art and even if damaged, can be repaired,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fort connected Hyde with a bronze casting foundry, which worked solely with bronze artists, and helped him understand that the process of creating bronze sculptures is \u201cextremely involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ever learning, Hyde continued to work on his techniques and his reputation as an artist grew.<\/p>\n
There may be no definitive moment when an artist knows they \u201cmade it,\u201d but when Hyde received an invitation to display a piece of his work at the \u201cArt on the Pecos\u201d art show, which featured highly respected artists, and his work was also included in the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation\u2019s annual auction, which attracts a number of wealthy bidders, Hyde and his art began attracting attention. <\/p>\n
Monumental work<\/p>\n
By late 1996, Hyde returned to Pennsylvania, helped on his parents farm and got a job locally working for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. He had returned home as a proven artist whose artistic skills were honed and he was now positioned for the next step in his career \u2014 to create bronze sculptures and specifically create monuments. <\/p>\n
He contacted the Joseph Bronze Foundry in Joseph, Oregon, seeking monument work. As luck would have it, there was a customer seeking an artist and Hyde\u2019s name was added to the list for consideration. <\/p>\n
After a review of the various artists\u2019 work, Hyde was chosen and the Civil War monument he designed was placed at the Missouri State Capitol. Since then, Hyde has completed 12 monuments. <\/p>\n
The making of a large piece, life size or greater, is a huge project and is done in multiple steps, Hyde explained. It can take one to two years to complete and easily cost into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMonuments are normally ordered by civic groups or organizations with a planned installation in a specifically dedicated area. In these cases they normally give the artist the general purpose for the monument but leave the actual design up to the artist,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His job is then to visualize how to represent the intended purpose of the monument.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to create something that makes a connection between the viewer and the person, persons or event being memorialized,\u201d he said. \u201cAs an artist, if I have to explain my art I have failed to communicate the proper thoughts and feelings. Art needs to capture emotion or it has no purpose.\u201d <\/p>\n
Giving a \u201cfor instance,\u201d Hyde said he received a request from the Chester Fire Company in New Jersey to design a memorial honoring volunteer firefighters. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy first step was to visualize a situation that would capture the viewer\u2019s attention and present the firefighter in his finest hour,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He then created a rather involved storyline about a volunteer firefighter on his way home from work, tired and dirty. He gave his characters names and personalities in an effort to create the heart of the monument.<\/p>\n
The story, Hyde said, begins as the firefighter arrives home.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo sooner did both of his feet hit the ground when his beeper went off,\u201d Hyde said of his imagined firefighter. \u201cJumping back in his truck, he decides to head directly to the fire location. A few minutes later he skids to a stop just as a elderly neighbor lady waves at him frantically. \u2018Save Jenny, Save Jenny.’\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor an instant he sees little Jenny\u2019s face in an upstairs window, then she disappears. He hears the siren of the fire truck coming closer, help is on the way. Should he wait? No! He thinks, \u2018Seconds can save a life,\u2019 as he runs up the steps,\u201d Hyde said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe image of that firefighter running up the stairs was burned into my mind as I visualized the final design,\u201d Hyde said.<\/p>\n
With an idea in place, he researched the clothing and equipment that would be included. <\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted the final piece to be accurate, proportional and historically correct in every detail. I also worked hard to make the stationary object project motion to the viewer. \u2026 I want the viewer to live in the moment displayed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Armed with all the pertinent information, Hyde created a small-scale model of the design, which allows the client to give input before the full-scale model is created.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce the prototype is approved, work on the final piece begins,\u201d Hyde said, noting the entire process from conception to installation can take one to two years or longer, depending upon the complexity and size.<\/p>\n
Accuracy important<\/p>\n
The sculpture in Chester Township, New Jersey, memorializes Larry Maysey, an Air Force paramedic, who posthumously received the Air Force Cross for his work during a Black Ops maneuver during the Vietnam War. <\/p>\n
Maysey had helped two wounded soldiers safely on board a helicopter when a\u202frocket propelled grenade\u202fstruck the aircraft, which exploded and burst into flames. The pilot and one other man survived and were later rescued but Maysey and all others aboard were killed. <\/p>\n
In an attempt to recover their bodies, a small detachment of Marines was sent in but were quickly engaged in a firefight with the Viet Cong and were ordered to abort their mission without recovery. <\/p>\n
None of this made the national news because it was all considered a Black Ops operation, Hyde said, but as the years passed and the story unfolded, the citizens of Maysey\u2019s hometown of Chester Township wanted to honor him. Hyde was selected for the job of designing and creating a memorial in Maysey\u2019s honor. It was dedicated in 2005. <\/p>\n
With a lump in his throat, Hyde recounted the day of the unveiling when he was approached by an unknown individual who said, \u201cI want to thank you for doing what I was unable to do. You brought Larry home.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the greatest compliment of my life,\u201d Hyde said, adding that he later found out the stranger was one of the Marines sent in to recover the bodies. <\/p>\n
Ongoing work<\/p>\n
Wayne is currently working on the initial model of the Everly Brothers monument designated for installation in a special themed music park in Knoxville, Tennessee. He also is planning to do smaller desktop pieces of wildlife, which have always been his love, and is intending to display his work in more art shows and exhibits. <\/p>\n
Examples of Wayne\u2019s work can be viewed locally in Bedford at The Veterans Grove, on the corner of Penn and Juliana streets, and in Everett at the corner of Main and Hopewell Streets. Wayne\u2019s work also is on display for viewing and for sale in the Lord Nelson\u2019s Gallery in Gettysburg. <\/p>\n
To learn more, visit waynehydebronze.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe Charge\u201d commissioned in 2009 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, depicts a Mountie on horseback with spear in a full speed charge. The first piece was given to Queen Elizabeth, which is now on display in Buckingham Palace. “The Charge” commissioned in 2009 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, depicts a Mountie on horseback with spear in a full speed charge. The first piece was given to Queen Elizabeth which is now on display in Buckingham Palace. Wayne Hyde’s “The Tennessee Volunteer.” <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The mother of an inmate who committed suicide while incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution Houtzdale, …<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Delaware County district attorney, a Democrat, stood alongside a group of Republican state lawmakers Tuesday to …<\/p>\n <\/p>\n WISE Women to hear Judge Kopriva<\/p>\n The WISE Women of Blair County will hold its annual membership meeting Tuesday, …<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nursing home workers represented by SEIU Healthcare PA have postponed a three-day strike for alleged unfair labor …<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wayne-Hyde-spotlight8-673x840.jpg\")
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\n Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wayne-Hyde-spotlight7.jpg\")
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\nMirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wayne-Hyde-The-Tennessee-Volunter-632x840.jpg\")
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\nCourtesy photo<\/p>\n