About Blair Buswell

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Blair Bushwell
  • Biography from the Archives of askART

    Blair Buswell biographical photo
    A sculptor of portraits of sports figures and illustrator, Blair Buswell has had a career that bridged his involvement with both sports and fine art. His studio has been in Highland, Utah.

    He studied art when he attended Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, and later transferred to Utah State where he majored in illustration. He earned a degree in art education and sculpture from Brigham Young University in Utah.

    In 1982, while Buswell was a senior in college, he was hired by Bill Walsh, coach of the San Francisco 49ers that had just won the Super Bowl, to do a sculpture of Walsh and Ed DeBartlo, the owner of the 49ers. That was the defining moment in his career of making portrait busts.

    Many of his works have been shown at the National Academy of Western Art and the Prix de West shows at the Cowboy Hall of Fame. He is a Fellow in the National Sculpture Society and a member of the Northwest Rendezvous Group, which awarded him the Artists' Choice Award in both 1995 and 1996. In 1990, he was the first sculptor to ever receive the Sport Artist of the Year honor from the United States Sports Academy.
  • Biography from Red Piano Art Gallery

    Blair Buswell's formal art training began at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, where he was recognized as the top art student. He studied illustration and design at Utah State University, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education from Brigham Young, where he was named the outstanding sculpture student. He later taught sculpture at BYU for four years. He is now on the staff of two fine art schools: Scottsdale Artist School, Arizona and Loveland Fine Art Academy, Colorado.

    Blair's unique combination of artist and athlete has opened many doors for his career. His knowledge of sports came from first-hand experience as a college athlete. He is now very honored to be able to work personally with some of the greatest athletes of our day. Since 1983, Buswell has complete more than 30 busts of the new inductees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

    In 1990, Blair was honored as "Sports Artist of the Year" by the US Sports Academy; the first sculptor ever to be so honored. He was also the recipient of the 1991 "Gloria Medal" from the National Sculpture Society. Subsequent years have seen him continually similarly honored. His works and commissions are a part of permanent/public collections nationwide.

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