Bio:
George Kurjanowicz was born in Poland, but is of Russian descent.  Most of his childhood was spent in Reading, Pennsylvania .  Before getting his BA in Fine Arts from Albright College in 1977, also in Reading , he served in the United States Marine Corps for three years.  He enrolled in Kutztown State College, in Kutztown Pennsylvania , in its art education program, fulfilling all credit requirements short of student teaching.  Deciding to resume his sculptural education, George was accepted at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow , in the summer of 1978.  Studying with Polish Sculptor Marian Konieczny, he received an MFA in sculpture in 1983.  George Arrived in Barre, Vermont in 1984 where he met Frank Gaylord.  He worked with Gaylord for two and a half years carving granite and casting models.  George left Frank in January of 1987 and established his own studio.  In December of that year, he was accepted as the in house sculptor at Peerless Granite Company in Barre, Vermont renting there for eight and a half years.  In July of 1996, George moved his studio to Desilets Granite Company in Montpelier, Vermont .  There he was able to expand his business and hired three sculptors to assist him.  He is currently the in house sculptor at Adams Granite Company in Barre, where he has been renting since February 2004.  In 1998, George was accepted as a voting member in the Barre Granite Association.

Artist Statement:
The act of producing sculpture has always been a very positive activity for me.  It has provided me with that rare experience of being able to view the fruits of my imagination.  I attempt to capture the essence of my subjects.  I have always believed that less is more.  My choice of materials has also led me in that direction.  Stone has a way of persuading one to be concise.  I view my creativity as a path to be taken rather than an assemblage of random results.  Each piece leads me to the next.  It both reinforces the correct design choices I have made, as well as eliminates the directions that do not serve me well.  My choice of livelihood has also been a profound influence on my personal creativity.  Executing religious subject matter has led me to choose human anatomy as the main, though not sole, inspiration for my pieces.  My quest is open ended.  My only goal is to discover those visions that till now have eluded me.