About the Artist

J Brett Grill is a sculptor of figurative bronzes, monuments, and portraits. Brett earned a Bachelor’s degree in sculpture from the University of Michigan in 2001 and an MFA in painting at the New York Academy of Art in 2003, both with honors. Brett worked as an Associate Professor of Art and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Missouri for 10 years and now maintains a studio in Grand Rapids, MI. He has lectured on his own work and historical artistic techniques throughout the Midwest. He has exhibited at various galleries and museums across the nation including Chicago and New York.

Brett has sculpted presidents, politicians, athletes, coaches, and other leaders. His commissioned sculptures can be found in public and private collections across the nation including the Univeristy of Kentucky, the University of Michigan, Grand Valley State Univeristy, Albion College, the New Hampshire State Library, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the City of Grand Rapids, the City of Charlotte, and the National Statuary Hall Collection.

About the Firm

J Brett Grill began making bronze sculptures in 2011, working 400 square foot space in the basement of a propellor factory in Columbia, MO. Brett began modestly by making small portrait busts and the occasional statue in bronze, while teaching at the University of Missouri. He has steadily increased the shop’s capacity each year, while holding on to the aspects that make a small studio desirable.

JBG Sculpture shop is now housed in a 3200 sqft. building in Grand Rapids, MI where it has operated for the past eight years. The building houses a woodshop and metal fabrication shop as well as a sculpture production facility. All clay and mold making work take place at this location. Brett completes all the clay work and oversees the entire process to maintain consistency and quality throughout all projects that he takes on. In recent years he has been entrusted with building larger monuments and memorials including a Hero Statue Park for the city of Mobile, AL and a large Duke Slater Memorial relief for Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

JBG Sculpture employs between 1-2 people as support staff based upon our workload at any given time. Support staff are responsible for managing the shop, metal armature fabrication, some research, mold making, and some clerical duties. JBG Scultpure works with several bronze casting foundries around the country and has gained extensive knowledge of bronze casting fabrication, and patination. On nearly every project, we work directly with architects, engineers, and designers to collaboratively tell the stories of communities.