Biography

Charles C. Lancaster III (Baltimore, MD – b.1976) is an American artist known for outdoor art, monumental bronze sculptures, bronze portraits, and executive level project management.

Lancaster public sculptures are site-responsive and contribute to regional place-making. His art evokes collective identification and an expansive sense of American aesthetics. Lancaster’s sculptures reinterpret Classical, Neo-classical, and American Folk Art into populist narratives and crowd-pleasing public monuments. Mr. Lancaster’s civic design projects enlighten, entertain, and adhere to proper zoning codes within each patron-client jurisdiction. His creative process includes nuanced collaboration with the patron-client to build bronze sculpture, bronze portrait art, and bronze public monuments designed to last hundreds of years.

Lancaster understands the importance of collective memory within historical and institutional identity structures. His major works include projects sponsored by Earlham College’s Miller Farm (Richmond, Indiana) & Pennsylvania Railroad Richmond Depot (Richmond Indiana), Bronze Foot (Pisa, Italy), Maryland High School: Glenelg County Day School.

His first major public installment (1999) was a 27-foot rotating American Flag monument working with Earlham College and Pennsylvania Railroad’s Richmond Depot, inspired by the legacy of Alexander Calder. In 2002, he created a portrait bust of Dr. Catherine Neill – JHU Gallery, Homewood Campus. A major monumental sculpture of the Glenelg Country School’s dragon mascot, transformed a symbol of school spirit into a lasting work of public art in 2004. His portraits of business and civic leaders highlight his ability to capture a personality in bronze. 

Lancaster’s expertise in the human figure was garnered through artistic anatomy and figure studies at the El Prado Museum, La Facultad de Bellas Artes (Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain), and studio work with Art Collective Calle Valverde 33 (Madrid). He studied figure sculpture with Tylden Streett at Maryland Institute College of Art (2003), Worked as a studio assistant for Barry Johnston Studio (Baltimore, 2003), William F. Duffy Studio (Baltimore, 2003). During his years at Lyme Academy of Art, Lancaster worked as studio assistant for the renowned American sculptor Audrey Flack (NYC, 2006). 

His work is held in various collections: The American Red Cross, John Hopkins University, Glenelg Country School, Gould Property Company, Mario Bellatalla Collezione D’arte (Pisa, Italy), Collezione Barbieri (Pisa, Italy). Lancaster was 2020 Executive-in-Residence at Saint Francis University (Loretto PA), where he lectured on creative life, art and entrepreneurship with his popular seminar, “Five Principles of the Creative Life.” He exhibited in 2024 St. Joseph’s Fest, Roman Catholic Art Festival in Washington, DC.

Lancaster received a BA in Epic Literature from Earlham College (1999). He studied artistic anatomy & figure drawing at La Facultad de Bellas Artes (Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), 2000-2002 Madrid, Spain). In 2003 he studied figure sculpture with Tylden Streett at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art). Post-baccalaureate degree in classical sculpture is from Lyme Academy of Fine Arts (2006). MBA from Georgetown University (2016).

Lancaster has worked 25+ years in commercial real estate, land-use, and construction management. His project management skills include development and supervision of large-scale multi-million-dollar commercial real estate projects in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Lancaster used artistic passion and creative energy to manage a myriad of construction teams. Lancaster has helped create beautiful office buildings, restaurants, multi-family apartments, historic rehabilitations, and a wide variety of hospitality and hotel renovations. Lancaster designed, developed and supervised construction of a series of artistic and creative co-working spaces in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. His “talent stack” is built upon years of training in classical figurative sculpture, lost wax bronze casting, and commercial real estate project management. His experience working with his father as a farmer and fisherman in Maryland, and later, in a salmon processing plant in Alaska inspired an understanding of the majestic beauty within the life of American Farm Workers. His understanding of artistic beauty and creative productions is influenced by Neo-Thomist Aesthetics of Jacques Maritain and Karol Józef Wojtyła’s (John Paul II) inspirational Letter to Artists.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Lancaster retired from the commercial real estate industry to focus exclusively on the creation of bronze public monuments and bronze art work.

Lancaster resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife, two daughters, and Golden Retriever, Acadia. Mr. Lancaster enjoys fishing and sailing on the Chesapeake Bay with his family.