The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-26
STATUES CUT IN BUTTER
FRANK VAN SLOUN's NEW FIELD
FOR ARTISTIC EFFORT
st. Paul Boy Has Done Some Exgufs-
lite Modelling in the OleaeinOus
Product of the Minnesota Dairy,
and His Work VIII he n Feature
of the Trans-Mississfppi EXPOSE
ton at Omaha. Y

One of the most convincing evil
dences of the practicability of the in
struction impaired in the technical
department of the Mechanics Art high
school is the work of the students in
the moulding department, recently
abolished by the school board.
Perhaps the most unique and popu-
lsr departure ever attempted by any
of the students of that department is
the work of Frank Van Sloun in
Minnesota golden dairy product-but-
ter.
Mr.. Van Sloun is a Minnesota boy,
just out of his teens, yet his work has
attracted widespread attention
throughout the state, as for two s:a-
sons of the state fair it comprised
one of the prize displays Of the fair.
Several pieces of statuary at the re-
| cent food show excited great deal Of
favorable comment from the thou
sands of people who visited the Mar
ket house display.
OF late Mr.. Van Sloun's patriotism
has resulted in an almost perfect bust
of Admiral Dewey, which has been
displayed in the show windows of the
Milton Dairy company, on Wabasha
street.
view the nations hero, and wonder
who 1t is that is able to bring out such
marvellous results out of butter espe-
cially in hot weather. -
Mr.. Van Sloun's handiwork in the
cows best product is said to be the
only production of it's kind in the
United States.
About the first attempt Mr.. Van
Sloun made in this direction was the
nf q h1Ic of hr,ob In
coin, which was exhibited at the state
fair In 1896, as a part Of the exhibit Of
the Milton Dairy company, Of St.
Paul.
Mr.. Van Sloun was then encouraged
by Tom Milton, of the Milton Dairy
company, to persevere in the work.
From time to time he worked on small
er and less important figures. which
were exhibited at county fairs through
out the state.
The largest piece he attempted was
The Discus Thrower" This was on
exhibition during the two weeks of the
food show and proved a strong attrac-
ton.
Mr.. Van Sloun pursues his work after
the same fashion as modelling in clay.
Instead of modelling the figure out of a
large chunk of the crude material, he
gradually builds the statue up, by put
ting piece upon piece, until the out
lines of the figure begin to assume
definite shape. After this the most in
tricate of the work is to be done. With
chisel he goes over the work and de-
velops the delicate curves and outlines
Of the figure.
The butter statues are preserved by
being enclosed in glass sided refrig-
orator and can be kept for several
! months with care.
Mr.. Van Sloun takes great interest
in his work and intends to follow art
as profession.
He has several brothers and sisters,
all of whom have shown special apti-
tude in several branches of art, and
promise to develop much the same
genius as Mr.. Van Sloun, who is the
oldest of the family. He was born at
New Trier, in this state, twenty years
ago. After couple of years in the
high school he entered the Mechanic
Arts to take up a special course in
modelling.
In addition to his work in butter, the
modelling department Of the Mechanic
Arts school contains many of Mr.. Van
Sloun's figures, some of which have
been used as models for the other pupils
of the department to follow.
Since the modelling department of the
Mechanic Arts school has been abol-
fished, Mr.. Van Sloun will take a course
next year at the st. Paul school of fine
arts, and intends to complete his ar
| tistic education at the Chicago Art con-
SerVatOry