The National Sculpture Society (NSS) awards Stephen Perkins the 2026 Stanley Bleifeld Memorial Grant. The Grant is awarded to a sculptor with outstanding ability who has created a body of work inspired by nature which includes works of sculpture in bas-relief and in the round. NSS Fellows Nilda Comas, Martin Eichinger, and Amy Kann served as the jury panel for this year’s applications. Perkins’ selection was unanimous.

Amy Kann observes, “Stephen Perkins is a sculptor with a comprehensive knowledge of anatomy and a superior design sensibility which he combines to create sensitive, emotionally powerful, and stunningly beautiful artwork. His bas-reliefs are exemplary. His work has a beautiful stillness which allows the viewer to feel the humanity of his subject. He truly is an exceptional artist.” Comas adds that Perkins is “a figurative sculptor with a passion for using the human form in movement to express a wide range of powerful feelings.” Martin Eichinger notes that “Stephen Perkins is an inspired sculptor who goes beyond asking his models to remove their clothing just to reveal their form; in the finished sculpture he reveals the essence of their souls. His ability to infuse a degree of abstraction into expressive human forms is like adding poetry into prose. Very powerful work.”

As an emerging artist, the National Sculpture Society awarded Perkins five scholarships for study at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, the Gloria Medal (1984), and the John Gregory Memorial Prize (1986). Perkins has completed commissions for Bryn Mawr School (Baltimore, MD); Cottage Hospital (Santa Barbara, CA); Northwood Institute (West Palm Beach, FL); Old Saybrook, CT, and for private individuals around the country. A sought-after educator, Perkins was integral in designing sculpture programs at the Grand Central Academy of Art (now Grand Central Atelier in Ridgewood, NY), Studio Incamminati (Philadelphia, PA), as well as an online écorché program at the Academy of Art University (San Francisco, CA).

Perkins is the eighth recipient of the grant named for sculptor Stanley Bleifeld (1924-2011). Bleifeld served as NSS president from 1991-1994 and received Emeritus status in 2010. The $5,000 grant was made possible through a generous donation from Bleifeld’s widow, Naomi Bleifeld, and will be awarded annually in perpetuity.