JOHN MAISANO

About this artist

I’ve been an artist for more than 25 years, but the inspiration to sculpt came in 2001 with my first commission, a life-sized bronze ornithomimid dinosaur for the Hartman Prehistoric Garden in Austin.
Since then, I’ve created a variety of commissioned monuments in bronze, including realistic sculptures of prehistoric wildlife. I’ve also developed a body of stylized, limited-edition bronze animal art, The Collection, which debuted in Loveland, Colorado in 2007.
I’ve worked as exhibit designer and artist-in-residence at the Texas Memorial Museum at the University of Texas at Austin since 2000. I’ve also been involved in two Dino Pit projects, one for the Austin Nature and Science Center and the other for Williamson County.
I’m proud to be a member of the Texas Sculpture Association and the Texas Society of Sculptors.
Before moving to Austin, I was exhibit designer and artist-in-residence at Yale University’s Peabody Museum of Natural History in New Haven, Connecticut for 12 years.
My skills and experience as a museum exhibit designer, muralist, painter and theatre set designer have brought many interesting projects my way over the years.  My wife, Jessie, and I live in Austin.
About The Collection. My current body of work was inspired by the styles of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, which I feel represent the high point of design. I try to capture the spirit of each animal with clean shapes accented by intricate designs. Some tend toward the whimsical, while others are simply elegant.
Monuments & Realism. My monuments have been commissioned by private parties for public venues. I enjoy the challenges of creating large-scale sculptures, which require great attention to detail and reach a larger audience.  It’s rewarding to work with each client individually to make their visions come to life.