Bronze Sculptor

Joe 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 is 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 Viet

am era. Joe Kenney has served as a director on numerous

boards

community and civic organizations, is past president of a Rotary

Club, a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow,

and

recipient of the National Kidney

Foundation’s volunteer service award. 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

years.

Mr. Kenney studied figurative sculpture for two and one-half years at the

University of Oklahoma under

Paul Moore, Artist in Resident 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, Rosland

Cook, David Klass and Martine

Vaugel, all of who are successful professional

sculptors and part-time teachers. 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 colleague of the National Sculpture Society, New York City. H

e is

a member of the

Texas Society of

Sculptors

and a member of its board of directors. Joe is a past member of the

Oklahoma

Sculpture

Society

and

Oklahoma Visual Arts

Coalition

The Arts and

Humanities

Council of Tulsa selected Joe

Kenney as a member of the

Steering Committee

for the proposed Visual

Arts Center in the Brady Arts

District.

Since 2005, fifteen (15) pieces of Mr. Kenney’s sculptures have been or are scheduled for installations in

public and religious settings. Exhibitions of his works were held in London, New York City, Baltimore

and Tulsa during 2006 and 2007.

  Sculpture in Public and Religious Settings:

  “Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha,” 14-inch bronze, Cathedral of the Osage, Pawhuska, Oklahoma
  (June 2005). Model for 9-foot statue.

  “Michael the Archangel,” 15-inch bronze, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas (March 2006).

  “Osage Girl,” life-size artist’s proof – painted plaster of a 10-year old sitting on a rock, entrance to the
  Osage Restaurant, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa (June 2006).

  “Emily,” life-size artist’s proof – painted plaster, lobby of Family Safety Center, Tulsa (June 2006).

  “Professor Duane Roller,” 37-inch standing figure cast in polymer, Bizzell Memorial Library niche,
  University of Oklahoma, Norman (installed July 2006).

  “Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha,” 14-inch bronze, 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 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 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 cast in plaster with a bronze-like patina, Sisters of the
  Blessed Sacrament Motherhouse, Bensalem, Pennsylvania (installation July 2007).

  “Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha – Portrait 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 Study #2,” life-size portrait bust cast in plaster with a bronze-like
  patina, Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, Washington, DC (installation July 2007).

  “Savoie Lottinville,” 37-inch standing figure cast in polymer, Bizzell Memorial Library niche, University
  of Oklahoma, Norman (installation to be announced).

  “Maxine Horner - Former Oklahoma State Senator,” life-size portrait bust 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).

About The Artist

Joe Kenney Bronze Sculpture