Some take up long distance running for sport, while others run to fashion the perfect body. For Tim Rusterholtz, neither objective applies. In his life as an award-winning sculptor and runner, Rusterholtz seeks to challenge common interpretations of what it means to fashion the perfect human form.

While completing his MFA at Temple’s Tyler School of Art, Rusterholtz says he began to explore the connections between his lifelong love of running and his talent for sculpture.

“They have always been intertwined, but it wasn’t until recently that I started seeing them as one,” he explained. “Through my art and my experience as a runner I try to challenge and re-frame ideas of perfection.”

Greek gods, Roman warriors and modern day pop culture icons all equally inform his creative process. A piece in his MFA thesis titled “The Light of Frank Dux and the Saint,” juxtaposes a traditional image with scenes from the movie Blood Sport.

“I’m always looking for moments in modern day that display the perfect form; by juxtaposing those images with more traditional ones I create a dialogue that questions historical ideals.”

The Bridgeport, Conn., native showed a talent for the arts in high school, but it wasn’t until after he was forced to declare a major during his sophomore year at Virginia Commonwealth University that he chose to express his creativity through sculpture.

“I didn’t even know that VCU was a great school for the arts,” said Rusterholtz, who attended the university on a track scholarship. “I decided to pursue sculpture because it allowed me to experiment in all of the fine arts.”

Sculpture soon took on a life of its own. He started experimenting with the medium and found that he worked better with more traditional sculpting forms, such as chiseling and woodcarving.

“I’m fascinated by how the masters worked and the history of the sculpture process and classical representations over time; it’s almost a dying art form, so it’s important for me to continue the tradition.”

His running also influences his art. As an undergraduate, he used his sport as the focus of several performance art pieces and created a multi-media series based on relationships he formed with runners from Kenya.

His work has been featured in several NCAA student-athlete exhibits, and in 2009 he was the subject of a profile in the organization’s national magazine. While completing his MFA, he was selected to design the bust of philanthropist Jack Wolgin.

Rusterholtz says he chose to attend Tyler due to its proximity to New York City. He liked the idea of being close to New York’s art scene, without having to live there.


“There’s something nice about the arts community in Philadelphia,” he said. “It’s not quite commercial yet, but there’s still a really strong community of artists here who are invested in this community.”

After Commencement, Rusterholtz will complete a study abroad semester at Temple’s campus in Rome.