Robert E. Jewell to Receive the Medal of Honor

National Sculpture Society (NSS) will present Robert (“Bob”) Jewell of South Carolina with the Medal of Honor this year for service to American Sculpture. The Medal of Honor is the Society’s highest award, presented only as the occasion arises.

Mr. Jewell was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Brookgreen Gardens until February of this year, and has served on the National Sculpture Society’s Board of Directors since 2008.  Over the past several years, the NSS Board rigorously reviewed legal and financial aspects of the Society, re-examined its governance, and worked with a team of non-profit experts to adapt and restructure its programs to better serve sculptors and the public. These were years of substantial growth, change, and critical decision-making. Bob’s thirty-plus years of Senior Management experience in General Management, Finance, and Human Resources, were tremendously helpful to the National Sculpture Society.

As NSS President Michel Langlais said, Bob Jewell is “a great human being” who “has humanity, intelligence, knowledge and good sense”. Gwen Pier, Executive Director, added “Bob’s vast experience in business, finance, and running a large non-profit institution, were invaluable to the NSS Board during his tenure. Bob’s presence on the NSS Board also continues a long alliance between two organizations which promote excellence in sculpture.”

The Medal of Honor has been awarded to several outstanding individuals with a connection to both Brookgreen Gardens and the National Sculpture Society since the first presentation to Archer Huntington, Brookgreen’s founder, in 1929. Other past recipients include Daniel Chester French, Joseph Veach Noble, Elliot Offner, Neil Estern, Stanley Bleifeld, James J. Jennewein, and most recently, Dan Ostermiller. This year’s presentation again highlights the strong association between the museum garden with this country’s most comprehensive collection of American figurative sculpture, and the oldest organization of professional sculptors in the United States.

The committee on Honors and Awards recommended Mr. Jewell’s nomination to the Board of Directors, who approved it unanimously. The award consists of a hand-lettered certificate and an engraved medal.

Having retired this year as President and CEO of Brookgreen Gardens, Mr. Jewell will continue to serve on the National Sculpture Society’s Board of Directors and as a member of its Executive Committee and Finance Committee.