
Above: Pandemonium, portrait of self
Erin McCarthy began her career in the beauty industry, but after studying under renowned makeup artist Dany Sanz at the MAKE UP FOR EVER Academy in Paris, France, her interest shifted to the structure and form of the human body.
Erin decided to immerse herself in the discipline of realistic sculpture and spent three years, 2011 - 2014, at the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy, where she diligently studied the classical methods of the masters and realized her true passion for sculpting people. Her time at Florence Academy of Art focused on developing technique through accuracy of proportions and gesture. Her work has since evolved and now pays more attention to anatomy following a dissection course. The benefits of studying anatomy in this way enable her to sculpt with a more tactile approach.
Upon graduation Erin was selected to serve as Artist in Residence for six months at the prestigious Galerie Schloss Weispach in Hallein, Austria. During her residency experience she interacted closely with the public and realized the power of art to influence a society launching her deep passion for public art.
Erin’s work is so lifelike that she was honored in 2019 by the Portrait Society of America with first place in the annual portrait competition for a bust of her father entitled Simple Man. Her résumé to date includes commissioned busts, figurative conceptual pieces, and public artworks.


Selected from a group of applicants, Erin McCarthy has regularly met with the Friends of Fly Rod committee both in person and electronically. She initially provided a series of sketches along with a résumé and references. The sketches and professionl details wowed the committee and gave assurance of a stunning result.
Since accepting the commission, Erin has provided maquettes (miniature clay representations of the planned bronze statue) for study and to adjust the pose, also photos to demonstrate progress.
Miss Crosby's statue will be cast in bronze at a foundry in Maine, a little greater than life-size, and will be mounted so that it will rise prominently from the landscape at the entrance to the new MDIFW headquarters to be opened in Augusta in 2027.
(A maquette is illustrated in the opening image on this site's opening page.)
© 2026 Friends of Fly Rod Crosby, a 5-1(c)(3) affiliate of
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