Clifford Ward, a longtime artist-in-residence at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, has opened his first solo exhibition at the venue, titled 'I'll Make Me A World.' The show, on view in the Museum Building through January 11, 2026, features his 'Animism' series—24 large-scale figures standing six to nine feet tall, created over twelve years using plaster bandage. Ward, who began his art career around age 40 and has been at Grounds for Sculpture since 1997, draws inspiration from indigenous cultures, the African diaspora, Native American traditions, and the Māori people of New Zealand.
This exhibition matters because it represents a milestone for an artist who has worked for nearly three decades within the same institution, evolving from an apprentice at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture to a resident artist with his own major show. Ward's journey—from learning metal chasing and casting alongside renowned artists like Kiki Smith, Elizabeth Catlett, and George Segal to creating a deeply personal mythological body of work—underscores the value of long-term artist residencies and the role of incubator spaces in nurturing artistic voices that might otherwise go unrecognized.