Adam Schnitzer
Model Maker
fall 2024
Adam Schnitzer, a recent Skidmore College graduate, is a model maker from Princeton, New Jersey. As a multidisciplinary artist, his work combines geologic and anthropologic research with three-dimensional design to develop scale models. His pieces offer educational insights into geologic time and human history.
During his mini-residency, Schnitzer will create a miniature-scale model of Artist-in-Residence Nathan Jackson’s totem pole, situated in a natural environment — in this case, Alaska’s Totem Bight State Park, which features many totem poles and a tribal house.
Adam’s project aims to complement Jackson’s totem pole and educate visitors about the cultural significance of totem poles in their traditional settings. Adam works with modeling clay, plaster, foam, acrylic paints, and various other materials to achieve the desired effects. This project will be in the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts’ permanent collection and on public display next to Jackson’s totem pole.
About Adam Schnitzer
As a sculptor specializing in small-scale dioramas, I have a passion for integrating geoscience research with three-dimensional design. I develop miniature scale models that serve as visual portals to the unseen depths of our geologic and anthropologic evolution.
My creative interest revolves around the transformation of abstract concepts into tangible, realistic pieces that illustrate snapshots of geologic time. I am driven by translating the unknown into expressive visual narratives. Each diorama is a vessel to educate and explore the people and places that encompass our planet’s history. These miniature models aim to augment museum exhibitions, art installations, architectural models, and filmmaking.
I integrate digital design through 3D printing, laser cutting, and incorporating electrical components, such as lighting and motorized elements. This approach ensures ultra-detailed realism with authentic mechanics.
My work serves as an interpretation of the intangible past and present, offering a glimpse into different periods through landscapes and cultures that have shaped our world. I combine my knowledge in art and science to capture the world in three-dimensional form through my dioramas.