About

Dr. Garry R. Bibbs is Full Professor with an expertise in sculpture and printmaking at the University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts, School of Arts and Visual Studies, and he is head of Sculpture Area in Art Studio area. He has taught and created art at the University of Kentucky for the last 31 years. He received a Ford Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship, which allowed him to study with internationally renowned sculptor Richard Hunt in Chicago Il, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was recipient of a 1996 Southern Arts Federation, National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowship for Outstanding Printmaker in the Southern States. His distinguished exhibition history includes showings at Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the Ruschman Art Gallery, Indianapolis, In., the Hertz Gallery, Louisville, Ky, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Il., Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. His works are in the collections of the High Museum in Atlanta, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL, ATT Corporation–New York City, Brown-Forman Corporation, Commonwealth Insurance, Brown-Williamson Tobacco Corporation, The Robert Derden Collection, The Richard Hunt Collection, Louisville City Fire Department and Living Arts and Science Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Bibbs a member of the Pew Civic Entrepreneur Initiative, a coalition group in Lexington whose goal is to confront and solve issues relevant to the community on race relations and leadership. He received a BS from Kentucky State University and an MFA from the University of Kentucky before his postdoctoral work at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Artistic Awards
Dr. Garry R. Bibbs have received numerous prestigious Art awards as the Ford Postdoctoral Fellowship from the National Academy of Sciences Washington, DC, the Al Smith award in Sculpture –Outstanding Kentucky artist award and the NEA Southern Arts Federation Award- Outstanding Printmaker award. Research travels to: Nairobi, Kenya, and Athens, Greece. See further data on my Web site: garrybibbsart.com.

Organization Board Committee Memberships (2005-Recent)

2013-Recent
Mid-South Alliance Sculpture Association board member.

2010-Recent
UK College of Fine Arts - Art in Public Places Committee member.

2010-Recent
ISC Appointed Marketing Committee board member.

2009-Recent
Lexington Urban County Government -(Mayor Appointed) Art in Public Places Committee, Committee board member.

Education:

Dr. Garry R. Bibbs received a B.S. degree with honors in Arts Studio from Kentucky State University, a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Kentucky, and a 1986 Ford Postdoctoral Fellowship to study art at the Chicago Art Institute- and an assistant to Re- known artist Richard Hunt, Chicago Il.

Grants/Awards/Fellowships

Alsmith Fellowship Award- KY Arts Coumcil, Frankfort, Ky

Community Arts Development  Grant, Lexington, KY

Southern Arts Federation/National Endowment for the Arts 1994

Regional Visual Arts Fellowship: Atlanta, GA Printmaking

Neighborhood Arts Program Grant, Chicago Illinois

Ford Foundation Post Doctoral Fellowship for Minorities Grant, Washington, DC

Commissions
Dr. Garry R. Bibbs has completed over 38 public art commissions throughout the eastern regional states. Several in Kentucky includes; The UK Gatton Economics Building, the Frankfort KY New Transportation Building, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, University of Kentucky Allied Health Professions and Sciences, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, Urban League of Greater –Chattanooga office Building, Busey Bank, Champaign Il, and the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center; and, numerous of national and regional solo and group exhibitions through -out the eastern- mid- western states; and many museum and corp. art collections.

2011
Historic Deer Park Baptist Church Centennial Art project, 8 ft x 5 ft welded stainless steel painted brass metal coating, Louisville, KY
The Rip, Restore and Relocation to Centre College outdoor art project, 8 ft x 14ft stainless steel, 
Danville, KY

2009
Lexington City Transportation - Art Bus Stop Public Art, "Lyrical Movement," 12' x 5 ft fabricated
(painted) steel, 3rd Elm Street (Historic African-American District) Lexington, KY (Dedicated July 2009)
Campaign Park Distrct, Pal- "Double Dutch", stainless steel, 16'x26'. West Side Park, Campaign
Greater Urban League of Chattanooga Building "Family Revolution" 20' x 5' x 5' Fabricated stainless 
steel outdoor sculpture; Commissioned by Public Art of Chattanooga & CEO Urban League,
Warren Logan (Dedicated September 2009)

2006
Commonwealth of Kentucky, Transportation Cabinet Public Art Competition for the New
Transportation Building, St. Clair Street Plaza area, Frankfort, KY., Outdoor Sculpture
"Now Get" 25' x 14' Stainless Steel. Installation/Dedication

LBX - Company LLC (Linkbelt), Lexington, KY, A\lumni Dr., Wall Sculpture Commission,
"Linking our Harvest Towards the Future, 8' x 5' x 4", welded Aluminum.

2004
Murphy Rabb Inc., Ariel Capital Management, LLC, 200 Randolph Dr., Chicago, IL,        
Wall Sculpture commission 8' x 6', Stainless Steel, Installation/Dedication,        
December 15, 2004        
        
Jim O'Brien, CEO, Ashland Oil, Kentucky, Sculpture Commission Project: "Lover's         
Chase", 10' x 4', Stainless Steel, Location: Northern, KY, Fall 2004        

University of Kentucky, Allied Health Professions and Sciences, Dean: Dr. Thomas C.
Robinson, "Structural Alliances to Life and Spirit," 18' x 14', Fabricated Stainless Steel,
Dedication Date: May 2003, Lexington, KY

2003
Kentucky Center for Africian-American Heritage, Executive Director: Clest Lanier, 
Westend Louisville Community, Outdoor Sculpture Project, "Boogie Chillin," 16' x 3', 
Stainless Steel Sculpture, Dedication Date: March 31, 2003, Louisville, KY

2002
Clean Sweep Car Wash, Owner: Mr. Ken Littrell, Sculpture Commission, "Clean-Sweep,"
22' x 3', Fabricated Stainless Steel, Dedicated October 26, 2002, South Broadway,
Lexington, KY

2000
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, Louisville, KY, Director: Beverly Watts, 52' Hall 
of Fame Bridge Sculpture, 40th Year Anniversary, Louisville Gardens Convention Center

The Urban League, Fayette County, Lexington, KY, Commemorative Sculpture 
Commission, Fabricated Stainless Steel and Bronze, December 2000

1998
The Miller Center, Owner: Joe Miller, Sculpture Commission, (Wall Sculpture), "Glory,"
Fabricated Stainless Steel and Bronze, 30' x 8' x 2', Indianapolis, IN, November 1998
Kentucky Educational Television (KET) Art Backdrop Commission for TV Series,
Workplace Essential Skills, Wood and Steel, 72' x 62', Lexington, KY, 
Completed February 15, 1998

1997
The Living Arts and Science Center, "True Passage," Sculpture Commission,
Lexington, KY, Fabricated Steel, (Painted), 118' x 10' x 5', Completed June 26, 1997

1995
Bluegrass Woodworking, "The Rip," Owner: Duwayne Van Horne, Outdoor
Sculpture Commission, Lexington, KY, Fabricated Stainless Steel, 14' x 8' x 6', 
Completed April 6, 1995

Louisville Fire Department, "Fire Fighter's Flame," Memorial Sculpture Commission,
Louisville, KY, Fabricated Stainless Steel, 17' x 6' x 6' x 6', Completed August 9, 1995

1992
Kentucky Medical Services, "Life Family and Good Health," Foundation Commission 
(Outdoor Sculpture), University of Kentucky Clinic, Lexington, KY, Stainless Steel,
16' x 6' x 4', Completed June 9, 1992