Her Story
About Rebecca
Rebecca Caleel is an accomplished Owner and Sculptor at Rebecca Childers Caleel Sculptor, LTD, with more than 40 years of professional experience in the field. She earned a degree in Design from Florida State University and furthered her artistic education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Throughout her distinguished career, Caleel has trained under prominent artists, including Mustafa Naib, head sculptor of Egypt, as well as accomplished sculptors in France and Italy and renowned forensic sculptor Betty Gatliff. Her extensive education and international artistic experiences have helped shape a distinctive approach to sculpture grounded in technical precision, historical research, and expressive storytelling.
Caleel is particularly recognized for her expertise in sculpting Abraham Lincoln and has established herself as one of the leading Lincoln sculptors. She continues to accept commissions in this area, bringing a meticulous research process to each project. Her work incorporates detailed study of historical references, including clothing patterns, photographs, and life masks, enabling her to create highly lifelike and historically informed representations. Her broader portfolio encompasses monumental sculpture, portraiture, bas-reliefs, figurative works, and commissioned pieces for private, corporate, and civic clients.
Throughout her career, Caleel has maintained an active studio practice and remained committed to creating artwork that reflects both technical excellence and emotional depth. She attributes much of her success to the guidance and encouragement of her late brother, who inspired her to approach her work with heart and soul and to remain true to her individual artistic vision. Beyond her studio, she has contributed to the cultural and philanthropic community as a member of the Assistance League of Chicago and through her previous service on the Women's Board of the Adler Planetarium, where she contributed her creative expertise to event design.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rebecca
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my brother who collaborated with me and gave me key advice about putting heart and soul into unique work, as well as my passion for sculpting. He told me that if your heart and soul isn't in it and you don't do something that catches the eye, you'll never succeed. He also said when you think it's good enough, it's not keep working. I would rather sculpt than do anything else and when in Florida I rent a studio and sculpt all the time.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice came from my brother who said you have to do something different because anyone can do a nude or make a statue. If your heart and soul isn't in it and you don't do something that's going to catch somebody's eye, you'll never succeed. He also advised that when you think it's good enough, it's not keep working, and to look into the past and you'll see the future.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell her not to get discouraged, and to go with your heart, and to take as many classes as she can in sculpture or painting, and always learn from the best. Always find a teacher that's better than anyone else and learn from them because that's the best way.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge for me is when you have a commission, studying the image or person totally - learning everything about them, their clothes, facial features, and what's inside their soul so the sculpture looks alive. I studied Lincoln completely including getting patterns of his clothes from Ford Theater and using life masks. Knowing what you're doing and studying the subject makes the work much more appealing and alive. In clay it looks so alive but when cast in metal it loses some of that, so you have to have it perfect in clay.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I want to put everything I have into my work and not walk away knowing I haven't done a good job or put my whole heart into it. It's the same with my family, friends, or organizations - I want to put my whole heart into something so that I've done the best job that I can do and it will show. I'm very much a person that wants to help other people.
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