Saddle River Artist Creates Busts for St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Saddle River resident Carolyn Palmer creates sculptures out of bronze. She has been commissioned by the NYC’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral for 4 life-sized busts of four famous popes.

Carolyn works from her home studio in Saddle River. The four bronze statues commissioned by St. Patricks are Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, Pope John Paul, and Pope Paul VI. These bust sculptures will be installed in entrance vestibules of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It took Carolyn 2 years to complete the task of the 4 sculptures and they were just installed in the Cathedral.

From Vue NJ:

An internationally-recognized sculptor, Carolyn Palmer spent a portion of her collegiate years traveling through Europe. It was there that she found a passion for classical sculptures, studying the great pieces in city squares and galleries, including sculptures such as The Louvre in Paris and the Prado in Madrid. Today, the picturesque countryside views of Palmer’s home studio right here in Saddle River, NJ affords her all the inspiration she needs to create her bronze pieces. Throughout the years, her works have been displayed in discerning museums, public venues and private collections, including her larger than life size bust of Pope Francis which greeted the Holy Father in the foyer of the Papal residence in NYC — to which Pope Francis performed a special benediction over her sculpture during his visit to the U.S. in 2015.

Click here to read the full profile on Vue NJ.

Click here to see the video on Carolyn’s work.