Brian Hanlon is a classically-trained master sculptor and founder of Hanlon Sculpture Studio. He has created over 400 public and private art pieces since 1987. Hanlon is a nationally-acclaimed artist from Toms River, New Jersey, specializing in commissioned larger-than-life-size, to-scale bronze sculptures, reliefs, trophies, plaques and awards. He is known for developing a distinguishable style of movement in contemporary American realism sculpture. In 2015, the Official Sculptor of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2018 Hanlon was named the Official Sculptor of the Rose Bowl Stadium. Hanlon has received national and local awards and commendations for his commissions, which primarily encompass the civic, historic and athletic sectors. On January 16, 2018, Hanlon was named the "Sports Rodin," a reference to French sculptor Auguste Rodin, in the feature story "" by The New York Times. In 2018, the Smithsonian American Art Museum began including Hanlon's monuments in its catalogue of contemporary American sculptors. He has been the subject of several news features, as well as a short documentary about his work that was created by Brad Nau and shown on Comcast SportsNet. 2017 was the "busiest year" in Hanlon's decades-long professional career. Hanlon oversaw the unveiling of 30 new monuments, including Charles Barkley at Auburn, Evander Holyfield in Atlanta, Jackie Robinson as a football player at the Rose Bowl, and 12 Hoosier Icons in the lobby of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Hanlon uses water-based clay rather than oil-based clay because he finds it to be "firmer and less pliable," which enables him to convey movement or action in his sculptures. His commissions typically take six to 36 months to complete, based on size and scope.
Hanlon took graduate level courses towards a Master of Sculpture degree at Boston University from 1988 to 1990 and left school early to work as a sculptor full-time. Prior to attending Boston University, Hanlon completed a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education at Monmouth University in 1988. While at Monmouth, he was a student-athlete and captain of the men's cross country team. Before enrolling at Monmouth, he attended Brookdale Community College and Kean University and then worked in New York City as an ironworker and teamster before re-enrolling in Brookdale.
Personal life
Hanlon is married to the former Michele Adamkowski, a soccer stand-out at Monmouth University, and together the couple has five children. Michele was the model and subject of one of Hanlon's first sculptures when he created his for Monmouth's campus in 1988 that featured her lying on the ground with a soccer ball and gym bag while reading a text book.
