Ken Bortolazzo

Ken Bortolazzo is a sculptor from Santa Barbara, California, known for his work in kinetic and optikinetic stainless steel sculptures.[1][2]

While studying at Santa Barbara City College, Bortolazzo learned how to weld from Julio Agostini, and apprenticed with painter Kenneth Noland.[3] When New York sculptor George Rickey opened his Santa Barbara workshop, Bortolazzo was hired as his studio assistant,[4][5][6] and eventually he evolved into Rickey's acknowledged colleague.[7] After Rickey's death, Bortolazzo became a conservationist for the Rickey estate.[8]

Bortolazzo's sculptures are included in corporate collections,[9] including the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington.[10]

A sculpture by Bortolazzo was placed in Century City, California in front of Century Plaza Towers.[11] Another can be seen on the Westmont College campus.[12]

Bortolazzo's work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Outdoor Arts.[2][8]

In 2023 and 2025 Bortolazzo's work was included in shows to raise money for Ganna Walska's botanic garden Lotusland in Montecito, California.[13][14]

In 2006 sculptures by Bortolazzo were displayed along Santa Barbara's State Street in a joint project between the city and county of Santa Barbara.[15] Also in 2006 Westmont College held a solo show entitled "Ken Bortolazzo: Retrospective".[15][16]

In 2003 a sculpture by Bortolazzo was placed in front of PTI Technologies in Oxnard, California. It was chosen from 800 entries as part of the city's Art in Public Places Program.[17]

A collection of Bortolazzo's puzzles from the 1980s are housed at Indiana University Bloomington in the Jerry Slocum Mechanical Puzzle Collection in the Lilly Library.[18]

Bortolazzo is one of the artists featured in Tina Skinner's book, "100 Artist of the West Coast II".[19] Bortolazzo is also included in Mark Robert Halper's book, "Between Seer and Seen: Celebrating the Artists of Santa Barbara County".[20]

References

  1. ^ Donelan, Charles (2008-08-14). "Ken Bortolazzo, Optikinetics III". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  2. ^ a b Vacca, Tim (2020-10-06). "Estacas by Ken Bortolazzo". MOA. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  3. ^ "Bortolazzo, Ken Bio". Kim Eagles-Smith Gallery. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  4. ^ "Art is a Puzzle: Ken Bortolazzo". LUM. 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  5. ^ Donelan, Charles (2021-09-14). "Belinda Rathbone's 'George Rickey: A Life in Balance' Captures the Late Artist's Local Impact". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  6. ^ "George Rickey Foundation—Foundation". www.georgerickey.org. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  7. ^ "The Fillmore Gazette - Newspaper of Record for the City of Fillmore | The Fillmore Gazette". www.fillmoregazette.com. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  8. ^ a b "Estacas in Greenwood Village, CO". Public Art Archive. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  9. ^ "Artists | The Cohen Family Collection". www.jmcohen.com. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  10. ^ Schlosser, Kurt (2019-09-23). "Watch Microsoft's original Redmond buildings vanish from above in new time-lapse video". GeekWire. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  11. ^ "Century City Urban Sculpture Exhibit Extended To Spring 2016". Westside Today. December 25, 2015.
  12. ^ "Santa Barbara Beautiful: Sculptures of Santa Barbara" (PDF). August 23, 2025.
  13. ^ "Sullivan Goss x Lotusland: Where the Wild Things Grow". Ganna Walska Lotusland. 2025-10-23. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  14. ^ Staff, Indy (2025-06-27). "'Garden of Dreams' Exhibition Blooms at Sullivan Goss Gallery". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  15. ^ a b "Artists Display Cutting-Edge Works". Westmont College. 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  16. ^ "Archives". Westmont College. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  17. ^ Hernandez, Raul (January 21, 2003). "Corporate centers get a dash of art". Ventura County Star. pp. B1–B2.
  18. ^ "Image Collections Online". webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  19. ^ "100 Artists of the West Coast II". Schifferbooks. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  20. ^ Halper, Mark Robert (2013). Between Seer and Seen: Celebrating the Artists of Santa Barbara County. Late Harvest Editions. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-9845538-2-2.
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