Greg Polutanovich has always been a fan of Norman Rockwell\u2019s art.<\/p>\n
Now, the Sault-born artist has a large bronze statue of Rockwell on permanent display in the recently-opened Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, Calif.<\/p>\n
Based on Norman Rockwell’s Triple Self-Portrait, the sculpture stands at six feet tall and weighs 1,300 pounds.<\/p>\n
Rockwell was a prolific illustrator known for his nostalgic portrayals of American life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did Rockwell sculptures for a company about 14 years ago and I still had photos of them on my website. Fast forward, someone from the Lucas Museum saw them. They contacted me and a couple of months later I started the Rockwell sculpture after finalizing a contract with them,\u201d Polutanovich told SooToday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knew? I did those first Rockwell sculptures 14 years ago. One never knows what the future holds. At the time I had no idea those sculptures would lead to something this big,\u201d Polutanovich said in a phone interview from his\u00a0home in California.<\/p>\n
After sculpting a 19-inch clay model, Polutanovich began work on the life-sized bronze Rockwell sculpture in the beginning of 2025 and delivered it to the Lucas Museum in May 2026.<\/p>\n
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by filmmaker George Lucas, contains 40,000 works of art including paintings, photographs, sculptures, illustrations, comic art, and videos.<\/p>\n
It officially opened to the public on Sept. 22.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeorge Lucas has a huge collection of Norman Rockwell\u2019s work in the museum. That’s why they wanted the\u00a0sculpture there,\u201d Polutanovich said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been a Rockwell fan, and now having a sculpture of Rockwell I did beside his work in the museum is overwhelming. It’s great. It’s an awesome feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Polutanovich, a graduate of Bawating Collegiate, studied art at Sault College in the mid-1980s before moving to California.<\/p>\n
He established himself there as a makeup effects sculptor for motion pictures while selling his own bronze sculptures.<\/p>\n
Now 60, he lives in Simi Valley, approximately 65 km north of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
The Lucas Museum\u2019s noticing of Polutanovich\u2019s work isn\u2019t the first time his art has captured attention at a high level.<\/p>\n
He presented a bronze bust of U.S. President Ronald Reagan to his wife Nancy Reagan at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in 2011<\/a>.<\/p>\n A huge fan of Clint Eastwood, he has created many sculptures with a cowboy theme.<\/p>\n Polutanovich has many monumental works on display, including a life-sized sculpture of a deep sea diver at the The Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City Beach, Fla.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt is difficult being an artist. It isn\u2019t all fun and games,\u201d Polutanovich said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a lot of work to be creative and it can be mentally draining, and physically too. As a sculptor, you have to move around, up and down on a ladder if you\u2019re working on a monument project.\u201d<\/p>\n Regardless, art is Polutanovich\u2019s life.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always had that creative drive, since I was a kid. I still have it to this day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always thinking of that next big concept and wanting to make it the best it can be, and I just hope people enjoy it,\u201d said Poltanovich, eagerly awaiting his next\u00a0commission.<\/p>\n He appreciates his most loyal supporter.<\/p>\n \u201cMy wife Paula always encourages me. She\u2019s my biggest fan. An artist needs a good and understanding spouse by his side.\u201d<\/p>\n Polutanovich\u2019s work can be seen on his website<\/a>\u00a0and on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n He can be reached by email<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n