Artist Statement 

I grew up in small rural towns plus a few cities throughout Central New York. My first love as a young artist was nature; flowing shapes and rich colors led me to interpret the world around me through paper, wood, plaster, and eventually less traditional mediums. I am above all a sculptor who combines different sets of materials depending on their function, physical properties, and the extent to which I can manipulate them. 

These sculptures pair together translucent plexiglass with other forms. I am interested in how their color, shape, and response to light unify to imply a sense of space, if not movement through it. Combining solid planes of bent and brushed metal, fluorescent acrylic panels, and painted solid surfaces speaks to my sense of how, at the most basic level, our view of the world can be broken down into basic shapes whose appearance and color change at different angles, with different light, depending on the objects surrounding them. The works hint at architecture, organic or geometric forms, or the viewer’s own experience. 

Artist Bio 

A sculptor for more than 40 years, Lawrence Kinney’s career encompasses the completion of studies through Munson-Williams Proctor Institute (now Pratt Munson-Williams) and the State University of New York at Buffalo.  A Rumsey award as an undergraduate allowed Kinney to study the art and architecture of Spain. As an adjunct lecturer at SUNY at Buffalo, Mr. Kinney taught undergraduate courses in structural development and three-dimensional design.  

Exhibitions in Buffalo, NY, Erie PA, and New York City include several awards for sculpture. Permanent installations can be found at Artpark (Lewiston, NY), Buffalo State University, King Condrell’s Candy and Ice Cream (Buffalo), Fantasy Island Theme Park (Grand Island, NY-now closed), and Sunset Galleria Mall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

In 2013, Lawrence co-founded the University Heights Arts Association, which along with 142 members, serves 4600 children and families per year throughout WNY through several community programs: ARTpartnering Exhibitions, ARTcovz® Dispensers, ARTskills Services, ARTgardens, and ARTmembers.  Lawrence Kinney designed and fabricated the UHAA-St. Andrew Sculpture Garden which opens seasonally.  Since its inception, the UHAA has produced 81 exhibitions, and 124 community programs. 

Kinney has produced more than 300 sculptures for public spaces and businesses in addition to more than 400 indoor fine art sculptures.  In 2001, he produced a 13 ft. diameter, abstract sculpture in honor of Mary G. Ross, the first indigenous, female rocket scientist, which was acquired by Buffalo State University following the 2001 Pan-American Exposition.  His 7 ft. 4 in. sitting sculpture, “Billie Bison,” invites visitors to be photographed alongside the character, which sits in front of King Condrells Candy and Ice Cream (Kenmore, NY) alongside “Strawberry Girl,” which he produced in 2022. “Spalted Device,” an outdoor abstract wood sculpture permanently installed on the grounds of Artpark, (Lewiston, NY)—where it continues to evolve each year through Kinney’s revisions—won the “Edges ‘08” sculpture competition.  In 2019, Kinney was commissioned to produce a lifesize cement pig which serves as the cornerstone of Farmer’s Garden in Riverside, NY.