Sterling Brown

Artist Statement

With more than 30 years of experience, my professional sculpting projects began with a series of African-American figurines for Hallmark Cards, Inc., the first of which earned more than $1-million in sales during its first week of release.

Later, as a staff artist for sculpting and mold-making at Macy's Parade Studio, I contributed to sculptures that served as templates for Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, including Hello Kitty, a 70-foot-long Buzz Lightyear, and Spiderman.

In an opportunity to employ two mediums, I was selected to capture the likeness of Naval hero Carl Brashear. My painting of Brashear was the centerpiece during the christening of the U.S.S. Carl Brashear, where military dignitaries and celebrities— including Robert DeNiro, star of the Brashear biopic Men of Honor—were in attendance. In addition, I sculpted a life-size bust, honoring Brashear, who was the first African-American Naval diver.

Other sculpting projects include: a life-size statute of a black Virgin Mary for the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey; a tribute statue to the fallen African-American New York City firefighters of 9/11, commissioned to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.

My most recent commissions include a 7-foot bronze statue of civil rights leader, A. Philip Randolph, commissioned by New Jersey Transit (unveiled April 2024); a 21-foot bronze-and-granite monument that honors enslaved and free Africans, whose remains are in unmarked graves at a cemetery in Elizabeth, NJ (unveiled July 2023); a 7-foot statue of a fallen police officer for the Elizabeth New Jersey Police Force (slated for unveiling in May 2026); and an 8-foot bronze statue of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (Installation TBD).

Each of these projects has inspired me and allowed me to grow in my craft. My goal in every project is to evoke the human spirit of the subject and viewer.