Rich Griendling

Rich Griendling, winner of numerous awards for his work in painting, sculpture, drawing, filmmaking, photography, graphic and furniture design, has freelanced in the fine arts for 40 years. His early works appeared in many museum exhibitions and several one man shows in various galleries. His more recent works are included in corporate, public and private collections.

Griendling, a native of Philadelphia, began his career in the arts in 1972 as a graphic designer in a Philadelphia area studio. In 1974, seeking to broaden his experience in the graphic field, Griendling accepted a position as a graphic designer for an educational television station and then a commercial station. In order to explore his interests in painting and sculpture, he embarked on a full-time freelance career in 1975.

In 1976 Griendling accepted a grant for an artist-in-residence position in Montana. There he explored his growing interest in the relationship of how two-dimensional painting could be employed to define three-dimensional space. This interest eventually led Griendling to Kentucky to accept a number of grants to work on one, time-consuming sculpture project for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Elizabethtown. This artwork received significant national and international attention.

Individuals, corporations and museums are among Griendling's clients as he currently collaborates to produce site-specific commissioned artworks that capture human moments, movements and emotions; works that succinctly deliver a poignant and timeless impression to viewers. 

In 1997 Griendling worked on two extensive sculpture commissions. One design, for the Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, chronicles the past, celebrates the present and looks toward the "bright" future of human discoveries made possible through the evolution of electricity. There are three sculptures in this commission which are composed of plaster, steel and, of course, light.

A second commission greets visitors as they enter the new University of Kentucky Children's Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. This five-piece work of plaster, steel and oils captures the fanciful flight of five, life-size children as they hitch a wild and colorful ride on large balls that are escaping into a 40' high atrium space.

Since 2000 Griendling has completed a commission for the JHHS Performing Arts Center that highlighted the various aspects of education. In 2006 he was comissioned to design a memorial saluting all those who serve in our military for the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central. Just last year Griendling completed a tribute, located at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North East, honoring two Medal of Honor recipients.

Griendling recently completed an extensive 3-year project: The Hardin County Veterans Tribute. Dedicated on Veterans Day 2012, the Tribute honors the sacrifices and service of all United States veterans from each of the five military branches, and says thank you to the men and women of the civil service. Griendling's design incorporates 6 life-size bronze sculptures set in a 88' diameter circle, dominated by a star polygon walkway.

These works and others have been featured in over hundred newspaper and magazine articles and on television segments in the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Japan.