Shaped By the Hands of a Master

Long before creating the majestic statues of John Kane and Jack Lummus that now prominently stand near McLane Stadium, Baylor alumnus Dan Brook, B.A. ’83, had earned acclaim as a sculptor of virtuosic talent.

One of only a few sculptors who create in both figurative and contemporary styles, Brook is a master in bronze, terracotta and lucite, and his work has been commissioned and collected across the United States as well as in the Middle East and Europe.

A piece by Brook that lies close to his heart is an 18-foot bronze sculpture of flames that serves as a monument to the Trail of Tears in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was dedicated in 2009. A Muscogee-Creek Native American artist, Brook was born into ranch life in the Creek nation of Oklahoma.

Brook is now based in Dallas at Brook Studio, and his work remains in demand. A Baylor football letterwinner who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1983, Brook played under legendary coach Grant Teaff. He was a member of the 1980 team that won the Southwest Conference championship and played in the Cotton Bowl.

Upon graduation, Brook studied art in the old-world tradition of apprenticeship, with renowned portrait sculptor Dr. B. N. Walker. “I’m just fascinated with people. I’ve always observed people, and I think that’s why I’m so drawn to portraiture,” Brook has said. “People’s faces are a terrain.”