Paul Granlund


Paul T. Granlund was an American sculptor. His creative career spanned more than 50 years and more than 650 different works. Most of his work is figurative and made from bronze. His patrons included colleges, hospitals, Lutheran churches, and other institutions.

Background

Paul Theodore Granlund was born on October 6, 1925, in Minneapolis, the son of the Rev. Clarence and Naomi Granlund. He attended Central High School in Minneapolis. He married Edna Spaeth in 1950. Granlund received his Bachelor of Arts from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1952 and his Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1954. Awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study sculpture in Italy the same year, he later returned on Guggenheim Foundation fellowships in 1957–1959. During the 1960s and '70s, he was a faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He also chaired the sculpture department for 14 years.

Sculptor in residence

Paul Granlund was the sculptor in residence at his alma mater, Gustavus Adolphus College, from 1971 until his retirement in 1996, and maintained a studio at the institution until his death. Over 30 works are on campus, including the friezes and doors of Christ Chapel. While artist in residence, he taught notable Minnesota bronze sculptor Nicholas Legeros from 1978 to 1980.

Locations of worksGranlund, Paul T. Paul T. Granlund Collection, 1945–2006. CAMC Collection 12. Gustavus Adolphus College Archives, St. Peter, Minnesota.

U.S. Colleges and Universities