Gary Lee Price

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Gary Lee Price went to both grade school and high school in Montpelier, Idaho. Once Mr. Price graduated from Montpelier High School, he went on to study at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. He then served a two-year mission for the LDS church in southern Germany. Following his mission, Mr. Price studied in Jerusalem for six months through Brigham Young University’s Study Abroad program. He then studied at the Utah Technical College in Provo (now Utah Valley State College), where he met and studied with sculptor Stan Johnson. Studying under Mr. Johnson is what drew Gary to sculpture and inspired him to enroll at the University of Utah and study painting, drawing, and anatomy. While he was at the University he studied under Alvin Gittins as well as Stan Johnson. Mr. Price focused on the human figure, his favorite subject to sculpt. His sculptures' faces, on the other hand, have been widely criticized. In 1982, he earned his B.F.A in painting and drawing.

During his high-school years, Mr. Price painted and sold his landscape paintings. Later on, Gary worked as a ranch hand, a farmer, a jewelry salesperson and manager, and worked in Stan Johnson’s studio and foundry in Mapleton, Utah. Mr. Price gained many skills through his work including mold making, wax and slurry casting, and welding. These skills would later become very important in influencing the direction of his art. Some of Gary’s earliest subjects include Southwestern and wildlife themes, such as Buffalo Nickel and Return of Fury. His first recognition came with the Death Valley Art Show, followed by recognition for his sculpture They Rise Highest Who Lift As They Go. 1

In 1991, Gary Lee Price was elected a member of the National Sculpture Society. In November 2001, he received the "Governor's Mansion Artist Award," from Governor Michael Leavitt of Utah, for his support of the arts. Aside from his sculpture images appearing on the covers of a few various magazines and books, the December 2003 issue of Utah Valley Magazine featured a cover story on Gary and his career entitled, "The Spirit of Giving." In 2005, it was announced that he had been selected to create the 300-foot Statue of Responsibility on the west coast of the United States.

It is speculated that thousands of Gary Lee Price sculptures are in public and private collections throughout the world. One of the largest libraries in the world, the Hong Kong Central Library, is the recent recipient of twelve Gary Lee Price life-size bronze sculptures.

Reference: Bronze Statuesby Gary Lee Price Studios