J. Blair Buswell
From College of Fine Arts and Communications
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 [http://byu.edu Brigham Young University, 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.
Buswell'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.
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.
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 70 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 and public collections nationwide.
In 2008, Buswell was selected as the Honored Alumni to lecture as part of BYU’s annual Homecoming celebration.
