Congratulations to New York City-based sculptor Sabin Howard and filmmaker Traci L. Slatton. Slatton’s new documentary “Heroic: Sabin Howard Sculpts the National WWI Memorial” has been selected for the Newport Beach Film Festival, with showings on October 17 and October 19, 2026. The documentary shows the story of Sabin’s masterpiece, “A Soldier’s Journey,” a 65-foot-wide bronze relief encompassing 38 figures.
From Peter Trippi: (Fine Art Connoisseur Sept/Oct ‘24 Editor’s Letter, featuring “A Soldier’s Journey”)
More than 4 million American men and women served in uniform during the “War to End All Wars” (1914–18), and 116,000 of them gave their lives, a figure especially shocking when we consider that the U.S. did not join the conflict until 1917, three years after it started.
“A Soldier’s Journey” traces the progress of an individual American combatant, who departs home, endures appalling ordeals, and finally returns to his family. Here we see not only soldiers: also depicted and honored for their contributions and sacrifices are nurses, spouses, and children.
Sabin Howard and architect Joseph Weishaar have endured their own journey; planning for the memorial began well over a decade ago, the groundbreaking occurred in 2017, and then came the pandemic. Howard has spent years developing his vision in New Zealand, England, and suburban New Jersey, working closely with his wife, Traci L. Slatton, who helped formulate his ideas around the composition’s narrative element. ~P.T.
For more information:
Watch the “Heroic” sizzle reel here.
See the event listing for tickets to the showing here.
Attend Realism Live ~ a multi-day virtual art conference led by 20+ world class artists. (No tech skills? No problem! If you can click a link, you can join our event!) Learn more at RealismLive.com!
Story prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Fine Art Today
