Bio – George
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Bio – George

George Lundeen – Biography

A native of Holdrege, Nebraska, Lundeen was a Fulbright-Hayes Scholar studying at the Academia de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy. He holds a masters in Fine Arts from the University of Illinois and a bachelor of arts from Hastings College in Nebraska.
George Lundeen established his sculpting studio in Loveland, Colorado in the mid-1970s where he currently lives and works.
He has been commissioned to sculpt portraits and interpretive works alike for universities, municipalities, foundations, and corporations. Mr. Lundeen is a member of the National Academy of Design and the National Sculpture Society.

George-bio-image

 

AWARDS & HONORS

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
1999 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters
STATE OF NEBRASKA
1995 “Distinguished Nebraskan” by proclamation of the Governor of Nebraska
LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA AND THE NEBRASKALAND FOUNDATION
1995 Pioneer Award
NATIONAL SCULPTURE SOCIETY
1983 National Sculpture Society’s Prizewinner Exhibition, Bronze Medal: “Departure”
1982 National Sculpture Silver Medal: “Old Friends”
1981 National Sculpture Bronze Medal: “Departure”
ALLIED ARTISTS OF AMERICA
1991 Associate Members Award: “Joy of Music-Bass Player”
1990 Helen Gapen Oehler Memorial Award: “Hearts on a Swing”
1987 Allied Artists Members & Associates Award: “Ben Franklin”
1981 Pietro and Alfrieda Montana Memorial Award: “Michelle”
NORTH AMERICAN SCULPTURE EXHIBITION
1986 John Cavenaugh Memorial Award: “Flatlander”
1983 Art Castings of Colorado Award: “Lovers”
1981 Rocky Mountain Sculpture Award: “Last Laugh”
1980 North American Sculpture Award (Best of Show): “Il Barbone”
1979 North American Sculpture Award (Best of Show): “Departure”
AMERICAN INDIAN AND COWBOY ARTIST WESTERN ARTS EXHIBITION
1992 Artist of the West

 

EDUCATION

1973-1974 Fulbright-Hayes Scholar: Post graduate work at the Academia de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy
1971-1973 Master of Fine Arts, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
1966-1971 Bachelor of Arts, Hastings College, Hastings, Nebraska
1978-1979 Texas A&M Artist in Residence

 

ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS

Allied Artists of America
National Sculpture Society
Fellow National Academy of Design

 

COMMISSIONS

2014 “Ben Franklin”-Franklin Academy, Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
2013 Scheels Sporting Goods-Cedar Falls, IA. Sioux Falls, SD
2012 Scheels Sporting Goods-Sandy, Utah
2011 Scheels Sporting Goods-Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota
2010 “CC Gates” relief for Wings Over the Rockies Museum Denver, CO
2010 “Red McCombs” for University of Texas Austin, TX
2009 “Red Grange” for the University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois
2009 Scheels Sporting Goods Fargo, ND
2008 Scheels Sporting Goods Sparks, NV
2006 “Waitin’ for an Answer” for Leaning tree Museum Boulder, Colorado
2006 “Tom McKee” for Larimer County Colorado
2005 “The Player” monument to “Branch Rickey”, Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
2004 “On the Trail of Discovery” Great Plains Art Musuem, Lincoln, Nebraska
2002 “Harvest Dreams” for the Marketplace, Brighton, CO
2002 “Mari Sandoz” for the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, Chadron State College, Chadron, NE
2001 “End of an Era” commissioned for the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, Colorado
2001 “Mari Sandoz” commissioned for Chadron State College, Chadron, Nebraska
2000 “Holly Coors” commissioned for the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
1999 Portrait busts of former Nebraska state senators, Jerome Warner, and his father Charles Warner for the Nebraska Capitol in Lincoln
1997 “Jack Swigert” commissioned for Statuary Hall, the Capitol Building, Washington D.C.
1997 “Portrait of Nathan Gold” for the Nebraska State Capitol Building, Lincoln, Nebraska
1996 “Dolphins” commissioned for the Marketplace Mall, Westminster, Colorado
1996 “Robert Frost” commissioned by Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
1995 “Mary Lanning” commissioned for the Mary Lanning Hospital, Hastings, Nebraska
1994 “Portrait of Dwight Griswold” for Nebraska State Capitol Building, Lincoln, Nebraska
1993 “George W. Hopper” commissioned for the University of Wyoming Law Library, Laramie, Wyoming
1993″Cliff Hillegass” (Cliff’s Notes) commissioned for Cliff Hillegass Sculpture Garden at the Museum of Nebraska Art, University of Nebraska at Kearney
1993 “George W. Norris” commissioned by Nebraska Rural Electric Association for the National Cooperative Headquarters, Dallas, Texas
1993 1 1/2 life-size portrait of pioneer aviator, Elrey B. Jeppesen, for the Jeppesen Terminal Building of the new Denver International Airport, Denver, Colorado
1992 “Branch Rickey – Baseball Man of the Year” Award, Inaugural year presented to Dan Winfield\
1992 “Portrait of Art Thompson” for Nebraska State Capitol Building, Lincoln, Nebraska
1992 “Players” for the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
1990 Life-size “Runner” and “Couple on Bench” for NIKE Inc., Corporate Headquarters, Beaverton, Oregon
1989 “Joy of Music” commissioned for the Civic Center of Loveland, Colorado
1988 “Gene Sarazen” commissioned for the Atlanta National Golf Club
1987 “Ben Franklin” commissioned for the University of Pennsylvania
1986 “Gilbert Hitchcock” commissioned by the Nebraska Historical Foundation
1983 “Promise of the Prairie” (10′ tall) bronze of prairie family for Holdrege, Nebraska

 

PUBLICATIONS

Sept 2008 – National Sculpture Society News Bulletin
Jan 2007 – Art of the West
Jan 2005 – Art Talk
Aug 2003 – Art of the West
Aug 1993 – Southwest Art
Aug 1992 – Revue Magazine
Nov 1991 – Art of the West
Jan 1988 – Art Talk
May 1983 – Southwest Art
Spring 1981 – Artists of the Rockies

 

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Beatrice Public Library, Beatrice, Nebraska
Benson Sculpture Park, Loveland, Colorado
Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA
Botanical Gardens, Wichita, Kansas
CALTECH, Pasadena, California
China Exhibition Agency, Beijing, China
City of Carmel, California
City of Cerritos, California
City of Glendale, Arizona
City of Greeley, Colorado
City of Holdrege, Nebraska
City of Lincoln, Nebraska
City of Loveland, Colorado
City of Westminster, Colorado
Coors Baseball Stadium, Denver, Colorado
Coronado-Quivira Museum, Lyons, Kansas
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa
Farro Enterprises, Independence, Ohio
Franklin International Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah
Jeppesen Sanderson Co., Frankfurt, Germany
Koelbel Public Library, Denver, Colorado
Laramie County Library, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Laramie County Memorial Hospital, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Museum of Outdoor Art, Denver, Colorado
Nike Inc., Beaverton, Oregon
Prince Corporation, Holland, Michigan
Rippon College, Rippon, Wisconsin
Smithfield Foods, Smithfield, Virginia
St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri
Stanford Law School, Stanford, California
Tallon Companies, Roseville, Michigan
Tebo Corporation, Boulder, Colorado
Trammel Crow Co., Dallas, Texas
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
Warwick Malkin Co., Stamford, Connecticut
West Publishing Co, St. Paul, Minnesota

Gallery of Work

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Recently, a librarian from Avon, Colorado reached out to our studio to ask for more information on some of the sculptures they have in their town.

One of them was "The Classics", sculpted by George back in 1994. The story of how "The Classics" was created was so charming, I thought you might want to hear it too. From George:

"The Classics is a simple composition, with two children (my daughter Annalise and son Warner), and a young man named Danny, reading to them. Danny was a young man, born with Downs Syndrome, who walked by my studio most days. A library commissioned me to make a piece for them so this is what I came up with. My kids, while modeling, were always moving, making it difficult to catch them in just the right position. Danny, however, would come in , take the pose and would not make a move until I gave him the OK. Each day, I would pay him with cash. One day, his mother came by with him and said Danny had a bunch of money and wondered why. Once I showed her what we were working on she was relieved! Some sculptures I have done, I like, due to the design, but this one is a favorite because of my children and my friend Danny."

Originally created as an edition of 21, this sculpture has been sold out for many years. You can find this life-sized sculpture in many public art collections around the United States, including in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Connecticut, Nebraska, Illinois, Nevada, Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota, and others.
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1 week ago
Recently, a librarian from Avon, Colorado reached out to our studio to ask for more information on some of the sculptures they have in their town. 

One of them was The Classics, sculpted by George back in 1994. The story of how The Classics was created was so charming, I thought you might want to hear it too. From George:

The Classics is a simple composition, with two children (my daughter Annalise and son Warner), and a young man named Danny, reading to them. Danny was a young man, born with Downs Syndrome, who walked by my studio most days.  A library commissioned me to make a piece for them so this is what I came up with. My kids, while modeling, were always moving, making it difficult to catch them in just the right position.  Danny, however, would come in , take the pose and would not make a move until I gave him the OK. Each day, I would pay him with cash.  One day, his mother came by with him and said Danny had a bunch of money and wondered why.  Once I showed her what we were working on she was relieved! Some sculptures I have done, I like, due to the design, but this one is a favorite because of my children and my friend Danny.

Originally created as an edition of 21,  this sculpture has been sold out for many years. You can find this life-sized sculpture in many public art collections around the United States, including in  Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Connecticut, Nebraska, Illinois, Nevada, Virginia, Ohio and Minnesota, and others.

33 CommentsComment on Facebook

Great sculpture and great story behind it!

Beautiful story.

Beautiful!

What a beautiful story!! Thank you for sharing this!!

Wonderful story, beautiful sculpture!

G—they mean so much more when we know your story behind the piece. This is touching. ♥️

Such a sweet story and there is nothing better than reading, for anyone.

Beautiful sculpture. Thank you for sharing the story. How do I find out where in Nebraska this sculpture is located?

Wonderful story!!

Fantastic work!!!

George, I never saw this one before... it is stunning! Thank you for sharing!! Love to you, Cammie (and the gang!)🧑‍🎨

Thank you for sharing!

Perfect sculpture. 💖💖💖🙏🙏🙏

We can be traveling and we see a sculpture and we say “that’s a Lundeen” and sure enough it is! We LOVE Lundeens!

What a wonderful story and beautiful sculpture!

Our church is planning a group visit to the Cloisters next month, inviting other groups to join us. They're looking forward to seeing the great representations. I have seen it since it was opened, but I never get tired of viewing it.

What a beautiful story!! I got a little teary eyed : ). Wish I could see it in person and actually touch and feel it. That's why I love sculptures even more than paintings. They invite touch.

Where is the one in Missouri located?

Thanks for sharing !

I love this!

Beautiful 🤩

Love the story, George!

Simply beautiful! I’ve seen the one in Smithfield VA. Also extraordinary.

Awesome story!! Ty!!

Great story, beautiful Sculpture.

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Contact Information

Lundeen Sculpture

338 East 4th Street
Loveland, CO 80537

Phone: (970) 669-7176
Fax: (970) 669-9493

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