‘The power is in the stone’: This world-famous sculptor is rocking Southern Utah

Written by Jessi Bang
January 18, 2024

ST. GEORGE —From 10-ton outdoor stone sculptures to hundreds of carved artworks in galleries across the world, this famous artist has been hiding in plain sight right here in Southern Utah.

Patrick Sullivan stands with his sculpture "1960" that was installed as part of Art Around the Corner, St. George, Utah, Jan. 11, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Patrick Sullivan stands with his sculpture “1960” that was installed as part of Art Around the Corner, St. George, Utah, Jan. 11, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

“I consider myself an environmental artist,” stone sculptor Patrick Liam Sullivan said. “The stone and art have an earth element. I do public art to bring out energy. The power is in the stone.”

Originally from Canada, Sullivan is part Irish and part Indian and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He often naturally injects his heritage into his artwork, including Celtic and Indian symbolism.

Sullivan said his art story began 50 years ago; his formal art education began at Langara Community College in Vancouver in 1974. He studied fine arts for a year and decided to pursue the art of stone carving.

After taking a year to pursue horticulture, he resumed formal art studies at Emily Carr College of Art in Vancouver in 1979, specializing in stone sculpture. It was there he worked with the world-renowned Gerhard Class and graduated in 1981.

"Last Love 1" is a sculpture by Patrick Sullivan made from Italian Blue Verona Marble weighing in at six tons, Whistler, British Columbia, circa 2006 | Photo courtesy of Patrick Sullivan, St. George News
“Last Love 1” is a sculpture by Patrick Sullivan made from Italian Blue Verona Marble weighing in at six tons, Whistler, British Columbia, circa 2006 | Photo courtesy of Patrick Sullivan, St. George News

“My first public work of art was in West Germany,” Sullivan said. “I was invited to a major international stone sculpture symposium with 25 other sculptures. That was my first public art symbol. It was quite an adventure.”

The 10-ton, two-piece art symbol was recognized at the Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. The Coquitlam stone sculpture is now part of a permanent 14-piece stone sculpture garden installation in Blue Mountain Park. 

As a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, Sullivan met his now-wife Sharon in St. George 18 years ago. The couple lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, before being called back to Canada for the Neighborhood Valley Trail Public Art Project in Whistler, British Columbia. 

There, he created “Last Love,” a large-scale sculpture carved from Verona Marble that he dedicated to his wife. This stone sculpture is permanently sited at the new train station in Whistler. The “Last Love” series now includes a total of eight sculptures in different locations.

He completed three 10-ton sculptures on Route 66, which he said are his biggest projects to date. Most of his work averages 6-8 tons. So far, he has completed 20 public sculptures in stone and several hundred studio and gallery sculptures. See his full resume of work here.

Patrick Sullivan takes a picture with his wife Susan Sullivan next to his sculpture "O'Keefe 10", St. George, Utah, Jan. 11, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Patrick Sullivan takes a picture with his wife Susan Sullivan next to his sculpture “O’Keefe 10,” St. George, Utah, Jan. 11, 2024 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

Locally, Sullivan has two sculptures on Main Street as a part of the Art Around the Corner installations. The first sculpture, “O’Keefe 10” is part of a 15-part series all done in marble. The second sculpture is titled “1960” and was inspired by the song “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”.

“It’s whimsical,” he said about the bikini-inspired sculpture. “I just decided to have fun with it and let it flow. A lot of people love it.”

His art can also be seen indoors at the Sunset Gallery & Framer in St. George. In Las Vegas, Nevada, he was commissioned by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to depict the history of transportation in the Las Vegas Valley. The nine-foot-high sculpture is titled “Motion” and is made from Indiana Sandstone. The piece is located at the Centennial Hills Transit Center & Park and Ride.

While he prefers to work with harder stones as much as possible, he has worked with alabaster, granite, limestone, marble, soapstone, onyx, basalt and more. As for the carving itself, he’s used pneumatic and electric tools but prefers to do as much hand carving as possible. Working six days a week, an average large-scale sculpture takes him anywhere from one month to three months to complete.

“Natural stone is the most powerful and enduring expression of our environment,” Sullivan said.

"Route 66 1,2, & 3" by Patrick Sullivan are made from Indiana Limestone and honor the history of Route 66, Tulsa, Oklahoma, circa 2014 | Photo courtesy of Patrick Sullivan, St. George News
“Route 66 1,2, & 3” by Patrick Sullivan are made from Indiana Limestone and honor the history of Route 66, Tulsa, Oklahoma, circa 2014 | Photo courtesy of Patrick Sullivan, St. George News

As for future plans, Sullivan said he hopes to complete a large, permanent sculpture in Washington County. He and his wife Sharon work as a team and run under the name Sullivan & Sullivan Public Art. She is also an artist and paints with an Art Deco vibe.

For more information, visit their website. Contact Patrick Sullivan for inquiries at [email protected].

“You have to see his work,” Sharon Sullivan said. “When you get up to it, you see the power of it. You see how it’s tactile. And he makes his work so that people can touch it and enjoy it. It’s just beautiful.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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