KENT ULLBERG

National Sculpture Society Awards Wildlife Sculptor Kent Ullberg the Henry Hering Medal for Art and Architecture

New York, New York - Internationally-known wildlife sculptor Kent Ullberg will be honored by the National Sculpture Society on May 17, 2008. Ullberg will receive the Society's Henry Hering Memorial Medal for Art and Architecture at a black tie honors and awards dinner in New York City, part of the organization's annual Sculpture Celebration Weekend.

The Henry Hering Medal is considered to be the most important award given for sculpture in architecture. It is given for outstanding collaboration between architect, owner and sculptor in the distinguished use of sculpture in an architectural project. The award, which is not given every year, but only as warranted, is in recognition of the "Spirit of Nebraska's Wilderness" monumental work done in conjunction with the First National Bank headquarters building in downtown Omaha. Medal recipients will be Bruce Lauritzen, Chairman of the Board of the First National Bank of Omaha, Jim Reeves of JVR and Associates architects, and Ullberg. Reeves, who passed away prior to the completion of the project, will be honored posthumously.

"This is a great honor, and although I'm pleased to again share it with my late friend and colleague Jim Reeves, as well as the visionaries at First National Bank, I am saddened that Jim can't be here with us," said Ullberg. "The Hering Medal has been awarded to some of the most important artists in America, and it's humbling to be honored like this for a second time for my collaboration with Jim."

This is the 20th presentation of the Hering Medal in the 48 years since it was introduced. It is the second time that Ullberg and Jim Reeves have been honored with a Hering Medal. In 1993, Reeves and Ullberg were recognized for their work on the Broward Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Ullberg's monumental bronze fountain "Sailfish in Three Stages of Ascending," is displayed.

Past recipients of the Hering Medal include Paul Manship and Ivan Mestrovic and architects such as Michael Graves. In 2007, Architect Friedrich St. Florian and Sculptor Raymond Kaskey were honored for the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Henry Hering Medal itself was designed by Albino Manca for a national competition in 1958 and officially accepted February 10, 1959.

Ullberg is a renowned wildlife and marine artist who has done hundreds of works for museums, municipalities and individuals across the globe. He is also a major supporter of many wildlife conservation efforts. He maintains studios in Loveland, Colorado and Corpus Christi, Texas.

A native of Sweden, Kent Ullberg is recognized as one of the world's foremost wildlife sculptors. While he has done hundreds of works on a small scale, he is perhaps best known for the monumental works he has executed 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. Regardless of scale, he imbues all of his subjects with unparalleled vitality.

Ullberg is a member of a number of important art organizations that have honored him with prestigious awards. These include, in New York City, Allied Artists of America, the National Academy, the National Arts Club, the National Sculpture Society and the Society of Animal Artists. In 1990, his peers elected him a full academician to the National Academy, he first wildlife artist since John James Audubon to receive one of the greatest tributes in American art. His memberships and awards outside New York include the American Society of Marine Artists, Ambler, Pennsylvania; and the National Academy of Western Art, Oklahoma City, which awarded him the Prix de West Award in 1998, the foremost award in western art. He is a major supporter of many wildlife conservation efforts.

Ullberg's work can be found in major museums and corporate headquarters around the globe, including the National Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, Sweden; the National Gallery in Botswana, Africa; National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.; Exhibition Hall, Beijing, China; the Guildhall in London, and many more. His pieces can also be found in the private collections of world leaders and celebrities, including H.R.H. Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Jack Nicholson and Robert Wagner. For more information, call (970) 667-7809 or (361) 851-1600, email Ullberg@sbcglobal.net or visit www.kentullberg.net.