{{Short description|American sculptor}} {{Use American English|date=August 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox artist | name = William Behrends | image= | image_size= | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{circa|1946}} | birth_place = Tryon, North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | training = North Carolina State University (B.A.)<br>University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (M.F.A.) | field = Sculpting statues of baseball players | spouse = | children = | website= {{Official website|http://williambehrendssculpture.com/|williambehrendssculpture.com}} }} '''William Frederick Behrends''' (born 1946) is an American sculptor who is best known for creating statues of iconic American sports figures, notably baseball players.<ref>{{cite news |title=From Willie Mays to Juan Montoya: The sculptor of sporting history |url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/motor/from-willie-mays-to-juan-montoya-the-sculptor-of-sporting-history |access-date=August 6, 2024 |work=Fox Sports |date=October 23, 2014}}</ref>
==Notable works== Behrands created all the statues for the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park: * Statue of Willie Mays (created 2000)<ref>{{cite news |title=All Choked Up: Giants Legend Willie Mays Is Moved By Statue of Him for New Ballpark|first=Edward|last=Epstein|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/ALL-CHOKED-UP-Giants-legend-Willie-Mays-is-2998761.php|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=August 7, 1998}}</ref> * Statue of Willie McCovey (created 2003)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schulman |first1=Henry |title=Emotional unveiling of McCovey statue |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/GIANTS-NOTEBOOK-Emotional-unveiling-of-McCovey-2618481.php |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=May 5, 2003 |access-date=April 25, 2024 |archive-date=April 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418205206/https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/GIANTS-NOTEBOOK-Emotional-unveiling-of-McCovey-2618481.php |url-status=live }}</ref> * Statue of Juan Marichal (created 2005)<ref>{{cite news |title='Dominican Dandy' gets due -- statue unveiled at SBC |first=Glenn |last=Dickey |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Dominican-Dandy-gets-due-statue-unveiled-at-2633280.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=May 22, 2005}}</ref> * Statue of Orlando Cepeda (created 2008)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shea |first1=John |title=Cepeda honored with his own statue at the ballpark |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Cepeda-honored-with-his-own-statue-at-the-ballpark-3270232.php |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=September 7, 2008}}</ref> * Statue of Gaylord Perry (created 2016)<ref>{{cite press release |title=Gaylord Perry statue to be dedicated at AT&T Park's 2nd & King Streets entrance |url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/gaylord-perry-statue-to-be-dedicated-on-august-13-at-at-t-park-s-secon-195155438 |access-date=August 6, 2024 |work=MLB.com |date=August 12, 2016}}</ref>
He also created the statue of Tom Seaver at Citi Field,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schreiber |first1=Jay |title=Tom Seaver's Statue Stands 10 Feet Tall. Just Like Seaver. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/sports/baseball/tom-seaver-statue-mets.html |work=The New York Times |date=April 15, 2022}}</ref> the statue of Tony Gwynn at Petco Park,<ref>{{cite news |title=Gwynn 'thrilled to death' with statue at Petco Park |url=https://www.espn.in/mlb/news/story?id=2944926 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=July 22, 2007}}</ref> the statues of Hank Aaron and Buck O'Neil at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Francis |first1=Bill |title=Standing Tall: Hank Aaron statue debut brings stars to Cooperstown |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/hank-aaron-statue |website=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum}}</ref> and a statue of Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson in MCU Park in Brooklyn.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gilberto |first1=Gerard |title=Robinson's legacy enhanced by sculpture |url=https://www.milb.com/news/jackie-robinson-legacy-enhanced-by-sculpture |work=MiLB.com |date=January 30, 2022}}</ref>
He also created the busts of Spiro Agnew, Al Gore, and Dick Cheney for the U.S. Senate's vice presidential bust collection.<ref>{{cite web |title=Albert A. Gore, Jr. |url=https://www.senate.gov/art-artifacts/fine-art/sculpture/22_00046_000.htm |website=United States Senate |access-date=August 6, 2024}}</ref>
Additionally, Behrands annually sculpts the faces of winners of the Indianapolis 500 race onto the Borg-Warner Trophy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Bruce |title=Indy 500 sculptor gets his own 'Baby Borg' after completing his 33rd winner's face |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/motor-sports/news/indy-500-sculptor-william-behrends-baby-borg-borgwarner-indianapolis-motor-speedway |work=NBC Sports |date=June 12, 2023}}</ref>
==Personal life== A native of North Carolina, Behrends maintains a studio in Tryon, North Carolina. He studied architecture at North Carolina State University and earned a master's degree in fine arts and sculpture at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website|http://williambehrendssculpture.com/}} *{{Commons category-inline}}
{{William Behrends}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Behrends, William}} Category:Living people Category:1946 births Category:American male sculptors Category:North Carolina State University alumni Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Category:People from Tryon, North Carolina Category:Sculptors from North Carolina Category:American sports sculptors