Nova Southeastern University to Unveil Kent Ullberg Shark Sculpture

“Underground Shark” commissioned in support of Palm Beach Garden’s Art in Public Places Program

 

Loveland, CO and Palm Beach Gardens, FL — Internationally known wildlife sculptor Kent Ullberg’s latest work was dedicated at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. The one-of-a-kind eight-foot-long, four-and-a-half-foot-tall mako shark – the university’s mascot – rises out of the pavers of the plaza at the entrance of NSU’s Palm Beach Student Educational Center (SEC). The shark’s tail also breaks the surface, rising three feet above the piazza. The piece was commissioned by NSU in support of Palm Beach Garden’s Art in Public Places Program.

 

The unveiling took place at the Palm Beach SEC’s state-of-the art 75,000-square-foot facility. The Center also hosted an Open House immediately following the unveiling, where prospective students met faculty and staff and toured the facility.

 

“Wildlife, and particularly marine life, is my passion,” notes Ullberg. “Florida is a special place for me, and I was honored to have the opportunity to do another mako shark for Nova, and to do another distinctive piece for display in south Florida.”

 

This is the second shark sculpture by Ullberg installed on an NSU campus. During ceremonies in early 2009, NSU unveiled a 17-foot-tall bronze mako shark at its Don Taft University Center entrance on the school’s main campus. This piece, commissioned by NSU’s PAN-Student Government Association, depicts the leaping shark rising above a wave in a 10-foot-high fountain. The 3,000-pound piece features 76 polished stainless steel teeth.

 

“We believe art enriches one’s character and contributes to the quality of life of the community,” said NSU’s Palm Beach Student Educational Director George Dungee. “Not only is it important to a student’s development, but it is also important to a community’s development. We are proud to support Palm Beach Gardens and its Art in Public Places initiative with this beautiful shark sculpture created by renowned artist Kent Ullberg.”

 

In addition to the two mako sharks he’s done for NSU, Ullberg is best known in south Florida for his creation of Sailfish in Three Stages of Ascending. Located at the entrance of the Broward County Convention Center, this work shows three sailfish ascending from water.

 

Nova Southeastern University, in Davie, Florida, is a dynamic fully accredited Florida university dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 28,000 students and is the eighth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The University awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU was also awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification in 2010 for the University’s significant commitment to and demonstration of community engagement. For more information about NSU visit www.nova.edu

 

About Kent Ullberg

Kent Ullberg is one of the world’s foremost wildlife sculptors. A native of Sweden, Ullberg studied at the Swedish Konstfack University College of Art in Stockholm and museums in Germany, the Netherlands and France. His list of museum, government, corporate and private clients spans four continents. His sculptures can be found in museums and corporate headquarters around the world, including the National Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, Sweden; the National Gallery in Botswana, Africa; the National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.; Exhibition Hall, Beijing, China; and the Guildhall in London, England.

 

While Ullberg has done hundreds of works on a small scale, his monumental works rank among the largest and most acclaimed works of art in the world. He is perhaps best known for his monumental works he has done for museums and municipalities from Omaha, Nebraska to Cape Town, South Africa. His Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Omaha, Nebraska installations are the largest wildlife bronze compositions ever done, spanning several city blocks.

 

Ullberg has been honored with numerous prestigious awards including the Gold Medal for Sculpture in 1981, 1982, 1988, and 1990 and the prestigious Prix de West Award in 1998, all from The National Academy of Western Art. He also received a Gold Medal in 1993 from The National Sculpture Society and a Silver Medal in 2002. In 1990, he became the first wildlife artist since John James Audubon to be elected to the National Academy, one of the greatest tributes in American Art.

 

In 1996 he was awarded the Rungius Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the National Museum of Wildlife Art. The award is given to artists, authors, conservationists and others who have made significant contributions to the interpretation and conservation of wildlife and its habitats. It is named for premier wildlife artist Carl Rungius. In 1993 and again in 2008, Ullberg received the Henry Hering Medal from the National Sculpture Society for outstanding collaboration between architect and sculptor in a monumental sculpture.

 

Ullberg is a member of the National Sculpture Society, the American Society of Marine Artists, the National Academy of Western Art, the Society of Animal Artists, the Society for Wildlife Art of the Nations, and Allied Artists of America, to name just a few. He is also a major supporter of many wildlife conservation efforts. He resides and maintains studios in Loveland, Colorado, and Padre Island, Corpus Christi, Texas. For more information, visit www.kentullberg.net, email Ullberg@sbcglobal.net, or call (970) 667-7809 or (361) 851-1600.

 

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