Bill Wiman standing in front of his painting of a bodybuilder in the Teresa Lozano Long Art Gallery, in the main lobby.
February 10, 2020February 13, 2020
Collection in FocusBy
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“Portrait of a Powerlifter” by Bill Wiman

Painting, oil on canvas. At first glance, there is something curious in Bill Wiman’s “Portrait of a Powerlifter,” a familiarity in the subject’s muted facial expression, which grasps a viewer’s attention like the apparition of celebrity in a crowd. I wrongly assumed the powerlifter was someone famous, someone I’d seen in the movies. As it turns out, my assumption was arguably close, but I wasn’t at the right theatre. In truth, Wiman painted his titular powerlifter, posed in a quarter turn, with such an expression, as inspired by da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” which long ago surpassed familiarity and became ubiquitous....

The George F. Jowett Anvil, from the George F. Jowett Collection, in the Strong Men, Strong Women Gallery.
February 7, 2020February 19, 2020
Barbells and BiosBy
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Barbells & Bios: The George Jowett Anvil

  Donated to the Stark Center by Phyllis Jowett, the Jowett Anvil belonged to the late George F. Jowett. George, as many individuals are aware, was a British-Canadian physical culturist who, among other things, helped further the cause of American bodybuilding and weightlifting. A strong man in his own right, Jowett’s claim to fame was undoubtedly his 172 lbs. anvil. In weightlifting and bodybuilding magazines, Jowett claimed he could grip its “horn” with one hand, clean it to the shoulder by flipping it at the tip of the pull and catching it in his hand, and then press it to...

Physical culture crystal sculpture of glass dancers, the Dancing Couple by Daum Studios, donated by Teresa Lozano Long.
January 17, 2020January 31, 2020
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Glass Dancers

Teresa Lozano Long gifted this crystal sculpture to the Stark Center in the spring of 2017. Jan and Terry were visiting Teresa at her home in Austin when she decided that the piece should decorate the center’s reading room. In the piece, two glass figures pose together in a balletic lift. The sculpture focuses on the bodies and musculature required for such a feat, highlighting grace and strength in each dancer. The sculpture comes from Daum, a commercial crystal studio based in Nancy, France. At Daum, artists create crystal sculptures using the pâte de verre process where crushed glass is...

The Reading Room featuring a large wooden table; four of the Battle Cast statues, on loan from the Blanton Museum of Art, are also visible.
January 15, 2020August 30, 2024
It's a Good LifeBy
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It’s a Good Life

“It’s a Good Life…” Celebrating the Stark Center’s 10th Anniversary A blog by Stark Center Director, Jan Todd I first heard the expression, “It’s a good life if you don’t weaken,” from my husband Terry Todd, who’d learned it from his grandmother, Agnes Todd, who no doubt had also heard it from her parents. As lifters, Terry and I adopted the statement somewhat as a personal mantra, often mentioning it to one another when we were tired or frustrated, and finding solace in the idea that our physical strength would help us keep moving forward on whatever task we’d set...

York Barbell Company iron boots, designed to allow weightlifters to attach barbell plates to either side of the boots.
December 10, 2019January 31, 2020
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Barbells & Bios: Iron Boots

Iron Boots are an item long since forgotten by the fitness industry. Difficult to put on, dangerously loose at times and quite awkward to use, it is unlikely that the boots were built to last the tests of time. Tucked away in the back end of the Stark Center’s archives are several pairs of Iron Boots made by manufacturers like York Barbell, the Weider Company and several others. For those unfamiliar with this item, Iron Boots were exactly that – heavy boots whose attachments allowed you to add plates to either side. Admittedly, it’s an unlikely favorite in a collection...

Headshot of IronMan magazine founder Peary Rader, in a suit, from the Peary and Mabel Rader Collection.
October 4, 2019February 19, 2020
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Barbells & Bios: The Peary and Mabel Rader Collection

  Fans of the Iron Game will undoubtedly be familiar with the name Peary Rader. For more than fifty years, Peary, and his wife Mabel, oversaw the organization, publication and popularization of Iron Man magazine from their home town in Nebraska. They also proved pivotal in the organization of American weightlifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding, for both men and women. Given the Raders’ longevity and importance in the field, their Collection marks a fascinating, and extensive, insight into twentieth century American fitness. In terms of its composition, the Rader Collection contains thousands of photographs submitted to Iron Man over several decades....