| Joe Kenney studied figurative and monumental sculpture for two and one-half years at the University of Oklahoma under Paul Moore, Artist in Residence who has sculpted more than 100 commissions, and Sohail Shedada, Instructor who has completed numerous commissions. At the Loveland Colorado Academy of Fine Arts, he studied under Paul Lucchesi, Lincoln Fox, Walt Horton, Rosalind Cook, David Klass and Martine Vaugel, all of whom are successful professional sculptors and part-time teachers. His recent continuing education includes forensic facial reconstruction sculpture with Betty Pat. Gatliff at the University of Oklahoma. He also studied at the Austin Sculpture Center in Texas where he served as a member of the Board of Directors. Joe Kenney is a member of the National Sculpture Society, New York City. He is a member of the Texas Society of Sculptors and a member of its board of directors. He is a past member of the Oklahoma Sculpture Society and the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. Joe is a member of the Austin Diocesan Fine Arts Council and a volunteer at the University of Texas at Austin Blanton Museum of Art. Since 2005, twenty-six (26) pieces of Mr. Kenney’s sculptures have been or are scheduled for installations in museum, public, educational and religious settings. Exhibitions of his works were held in London, New York City, Baltimore, Columbus, Ohio, Tulsa, Austin and Texas communities between 2006 and 2011. Mr. Kenney began focusing his fulltime creative energy on figurative sculpture in 2001 after retiring in his mid 50’s as the chief executive officer of a health management company that he founded. Mr. Kenney experienced a major transformation from a business executive-entrepreneur into a professional sculptor. Mr. Kenney was born in Indianapolis in 1944. He began his career on the administrative staff of Mayo Clinic. He was on active duty as a lieutenant in the Navy, Medical Service Corps, where he had duty at two naval hospitals during the Vietnam era. Joe Kenney has served as a director on numerous boards of community and civic organizations, is past president of a Rotary Club, a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, past member of Young Presidents’ Organization, recipient of the National Kidney Foundation’s volunteer service award, and an Eagle Scout. Mr. Kenney has a Master’s Degree in Hospital and Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in Economics and History and Political Science from Butler University. He has been married to The Reverend Christine Swarts Kenney for forty-four years, and they have five grandchildren. Collections Holding Joe Kenney’s Sculptures: City of Sugar Land, Texas Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma. City of Tulsa Family Safety Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Pawhuska Chamber of Commerce, Pawhuska, Oklahoma. St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas. National Shrine of the North American Martyrs, Auriesville, New York. Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Motherhouse, Bensalem, Pennsylvania. National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Fonda, New York. Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, Washington, DC. National Tekakwitha Conference, Great Falls, Montana. St. Pius X Catholic School, Tulsa, Oklahoma. St. Ignatius Parish, Austin, Texas. Hopkins Medical Products, Baltimore, Maryland. St. Wulfstan’s Books, Fayetteville, Arkansas. St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana. St. Mary's Catholic School, Pittsburg, Kansas. Infant Jesus Catholic Church Lumberton, Texas. Public Library, Georgetown, Texas. Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. City of Austin, Texas - Scheduled for 2012. Joe Kenney's Sculpture in Public and Religious Settings: Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, 14-inch bronze statue, Chamber of Commerce, Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Model for 9-foot statue. Michael the Archangel, 15-inch bronze statue, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas (March 2006). Osage Girl, life-size statue, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma, painted plaster of a 10-year old sitting on a rock, (June 2006). Emily, life-size statue, City of Tulsa, Family Safety Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma, painted plaster (June 2006). Professor Duane Roller, 37-inch statue cast in polymer, Bizzell Memorial Library niche, University of Oklahoma, Norman (installed July 2006). Kateri Tekakwitha, 14-inch bronze statue, National Shrine of the North American Martyrs (Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha League), Auriesville, New York, birthplace of Blessed Kateri, a Mohawk (August 2006). “Professor Duane Roller,” 37-inch standing figure cast in plaster with a bronze-like patina, interior of Bizzell Library, History of Science Rare Book Collection section, University of Oklahoma, Norma (installed September 2006). Healing Hands Are All Around You, life-size bronze hands on 41-inch pedestal, lobby entrance of Basic Science Building, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (installation November 2006). St. Katharine Drexel, 36-inch statue, standing figure cast in plaster with a bronze-like patina, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Motherhouse, Bensalem, Pennsylvania (installation July 2007). St. Katharine Drexel, life-size portrait bust sculpture cast in plaster with a bronze-like patina, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Motherhouse, Bensalem, Pennsylvania (installation July 2007). Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha – Portrait Sculpture Study #1, life-size portrait bust cast in plaster with a bronze- like patina, National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Fonda, New York, childhood home of Blessed Kateri, (installation July 2007). Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha – Portrait Sculpture Study #2, life-size portrait bust cast in plaster with a bronze- like patina, Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, Washington, DC (installation July 2007). Maxine Horner - Former Oklahoma State Senator, life-size portrait bust sculpture cast in plaster with a bronze-like patina, Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Tulsa, Oklahoma, (installation October 2007). Learning to Read, two life-size bronze figures - a grandmother teaching a first grade girl to read, St. Pius X Catholic School, Tulsa,Oklahoma (installation August 2008). Blessed Basil Moreau, (founder of the religious orders of Holy Cross) life-size portrait bust sculpture cast in plaster, St. Ignatius Parish, Austin, Texas (October 2008) and St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana (January 2011). Savoie Lottinville, 37-inch standing figure cast in polymer, Bizzell Memorial Library niche, University of Oklahoma, Norman (installation August 2009). Blessed Basil Moreau, 15-inch standing figure, The University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (October 2009). 50th Anniversary Commemorative Sculpture, City of Sugar Land, Texas, for Rotunda in City Hall (installation December 2009). Sister of St. Joseph and Child, 6-ft. sister and 4-ft. girl, St. Mary’s Catholic School, Pittsburg, Kansas (installation May 2011). St. John (Dom) Bosco, 37-inch standing bronze figure, Infant Jesus Catholic Church, Lumberton, Texas (installation July 2011). Little Flower, life-size seated figure of an Osage Indian girl, Public Library, Georgetown, Texas (July 2011). Sarah, life-size portrait sculpture cast in plaster, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Austin, Texas (October 2011). Captain Louie White, life-size portrait bust, City of Austin, Texas, Police Department in Captain Louie White police substation (planned for 2012). |
| About Joe Kenney |
Joe Kenney Bronze Sculpture
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