Splendid Splinters – The Armand LaMontagne Story
Splendid Splinters – The Armand LaMontagne Story is a one-hour television
documentary focusing on the life and works of world-renowned master sculptor and artist
Armand LaMontagne. The film showcases the Rhode Island artist’s dynamic talents and
inspirational creations, starting with his early work as an illustrator, furniture maker,
painter and wood carver, right through to his most recently commissioned sculptures.
Five years in the making, the production also spotlights the creation of the artist’s most
recent masterpiece, “On Deck” – depicting Red Sox legend Ted Williams leaning on his
bat in the on-deck circle – from the work’s inception to its unveiling. The film is further
enhanced by the excellent camera work of producer/director Carl Piermarini and
cinematographer Jack Celli, which zeros in on and highlights the extremely tedious and
detailed sculpting process.
Armand LaMontagne ranks as one of America's pre-eminent sculptors of celebrated
personalities. The artist was born and raised in Rhode Island and educated in the
Pawtucket, RI, school system, Worcester Academy and Boston College. He lives with his
wife Lorraine in North Scituate, Rhode Island. Their daughter Lisa is a graduate of Salve
Regina College, Newport, RI. His home and studio are in North Scituate. Armand was
named to the Providence Sunday Journal’s All-State Football Team in 1957 and its AllState Baseball Team in 1956 to 1958. Upon matriculating at Worcester Academy in
1958-59, Armand starred in football, coached by former Brown University football great,
John Pietro, and in basketball, coached by the venerable Dee Rowe of the University of
Connecticut fame. Armand was scouted and offered a four-year football scholarship by
Boston College football coach and legend, Mike Holovak. Although Mr. LaMontagne
studied for a year in Italy as the recipient of the Russell Grinell Foundation Award,
essentially he is a self-taught artist who has honed his skills through practicing his
profession. He is best recognized for his life-size wood and bronze sculptures.
Armand's most recent bronze sculpture of Ted Williams entitled, “On Deck,” was
unveiled February 20, 2000, at the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame in
Hernando, Florida. Mr. LaMontagne was honored in May 1998 by Rhode Island College
and presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts. That same month, he was
inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Armand is also very proud of his
Charter Membership in the Pawtucket Hall of Fame. His significant sculptures of
important personalities and where the sculptures are exhibited are: Babe Ruth and Ted
Williams, The Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York; Harry Agganis, Larry
Bird, Bobby Orr, Carl Yastrzemski, and Ted Williams, The New England Sports
Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts; General George S Patton, Jr., The Patton Museum,
Fort Knox, Kentucky; President Gerald Ford, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor,
and the Gerald Ford Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Eleanor Roosevelt, Hyde Park,
New York; Ted Williams, Ted Williams Museum, Hernando, Florida; Roger Williams,
Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island; Larry Bird, Basketball Hall of Fame,
Springfield, Massachusetts; and Gladys Tantaquidgeon, "The Mohegan Medicine
Woman" The Mohegan Nation, Uncasville, Connecticut.
Splendid Splinters – The Armand LaMontagne Story was produced and directed by Carl
Piermarini of Leominster, Massachusetts through a special grant provided by Amscan
Corporation. The program is presented by Rhode Island PBS and distributed nationwide
by American Public Television.
Rhode Island PBS is owned and operated by the State of Rhode Island, and is a viewersupported member of the Public Broadcasting Service. As Rhode Island’s most accessible
learning resource, Rhode Island PBS is dedicated to the principle of lifelong learning and
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entertains viewers of all ages in Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts, and eastern
Connecticut. For more information about the programs and services at Rhode Island PBS,
visit www.RIpbs.org.
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Promotion Contact:
Lucie M. Houle
Public Information Manager
Rhode Island PBS
lhoule@RIpbs.org
401-222-3636 x216
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