Jerry McKenna didn't pick up a chisel in earnest until his 50s — after a distinguished 27-year Air Force career that included service in Vietnam and earned him a Bronze Star. What followed was a second act few artists ever achieve: over 200 sculptures placed in parks, universities, churches, and museums across the country, including 25 pieces on the campus of his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, where his coaching legends guard the gates of Notre Dame Stadium itself.
McKenna's bronzes have earned him recognition most sculptors only dream of. He was named the All-American Football Foundation's Sports Sculptor of the Year in 2003, honored for his portrait busts in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and iconic works like his Knute Rockne at the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2014, the NCAA ranked two of his pieces among the best sculptures in college football history. Beyond the sports world, his range spans Air Force generals, saints, and historic tableaux like his Lincoln-Douglas debate scene in Alton, Illinois.
What makes McKenna's story especially fitting for this spotlight is the connection right here at home: every one of his bronzes has been cast at Stevens Art Foundry, just up the road in Bulverde. His pieces "Benjamin Franklin" and the Notre Dame Leprechaun, both featured in the foundry's portfolio, are a small taste of a body of work shaping public memory for over 30 years.
Find more at jerrymckennastudio.com