Michael Florin Dente has been a sculptor since he was 4 years old
and his main toy was a chunk of clay. He created people and worlds with clay, always focusing on the surface and rhythm of his pieces.
Today, Michael Dente’s work is internationally exhibited, with pieces in private collections throughout the Northwest, in New York City, Italy, China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
Dente was a full-time member of the faculty of the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Portland from 1981 to 1986. In 2000, he set up an art program at Juan Diego Catholic High School in Utah. In 2003-04, Michael returned from the Florence Biennial where he represented the U.S.A. with a large bronze sculpture and received rave reviews. In August of 2005, he returned to Italy for a two man show where he exhibited 24 terracotta sculptures he created while staying in a 1000 year old marble villa. Michael continues to create art in Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City, Utah; and throughout the country.
Exhibits and installations
International
Two life size bronze sculptures of St. Francis, Calgary, Canada
Two man exhibition, Mondragone, Italy
Memory, 4ft bronze, chosen to represent the United States of America at the Florence Biennial, Florence, Italy
Martin Luther King, Jr., life size bronze bust, American Embassy, Tuzla, Sarajevo
Washington
Bronze Bas' Relief, Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, WA
“Osbornes”, bas’ relief, Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, WA
Bas Relief, bronze, Big Bend Community College Foundation, WA
County Seal, 3ft diameter Bronze bas-relief, Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, Washington
Our Lady of Peace, 5ft Forton Faux Marbe, Longview, Washington
Bronze bas-relief, Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, Washington
Two memorial bronze bas-reliefs for Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake Washington
Oregon
Harvey Milk, bronze bust, auction for Cascade Aids Project, Portland, OR
Vision, 6ft bronze Hall of Fame Motorcycle Rider, Beaverton, Oregon
Turning Two, bronze sculpture % for the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon State University, Oregon
The Dream, 8ft bronze monument with three other people and bas-reliefs, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon
Artists of Oregon Invitational, State Capital, Salem, Oregon
The Embrace, the meeting of St. Dominic and St. Francis, Holy Rosary Church, Portland, Oregon
Sculptures of Diversity, Nike Campus Invitational, Beaverton, Oregon
Gandhi, bronze life size bust, Honorable Mention, 6th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Exhibition, Corvallis, Oregon
St. Francis, 6ft bronze monument, The Grotto, Portland, Oregon
Best of Show Purchase Award, 5th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Exhibition, Corvallis, Oregon
Dawn of Renewal, two 40x80 paintings on Dano Drums, City of Portland, METRO, and Reidel International, Portland, Oregon
Chief Joseph 3ft sculpture, Chief Joseph School, Portland, Oregon
The Broken Wall, Student War Memorial, University of Portland, Portland, Oregon
Golden Valley, 4ft mixed media bas-relief, %For The Arts, in Public Schools, Oregon Commission, Portland, Oregon
Naming of Mt. Jefferson, 7ft bronze monument, University of Portland, Portland, Oregon
Trails End, monument finalist, Seaside, Oregon
Selected for one year traveling exhibition, Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon
Idaho
Tabernacle for St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Nampa, ID
Jordan, “The Baptism of Christ” dedicated at Bishop Kelly High School, Boise, Idaho.
California
Seven foot bronze sculptures of Jesus and Saint John the Baptist on the River
Five life size bas’ relief’s, forton, Cathedral Catholic High School, San Diego, CA
Seven Bas Relief sculptures, Cathedral Catholic School, San Diego, CA
St. Joseph and Christ [email protected], 6ft polychrome bronze, San Diego, California
St. Dominic 8ft bronze monument, Dominican Cemetery, Benecia, California
Nevada
St. Dominic, eight foot bronze, St. Mary s Medical Center, Reno, Nevada
Utah
“Three Kings” 3/4 life size forton, for Nativity Scene, Juan Diego Catholic High School, Draper, UT
Two bronze sculpture included in Springville Museum of Fine art, Utah Spiritual Show
St. Joseph the Carpenter, 5ft Bronze bas-relief, St. Joseph High School, Ogden Utah
Two Angels, 6ft each Carved bass wood, St. Rose of Lima, Layton, Utah
Christus, 10ft Forton Faux Marble, St. John the Baptist Church, Draper, Utah
St. John the Baptist, 8ft bronze, St. John the Baptist Church, Draper, Utah
Fourteen Stations of the Cross, 28 inch polychrome Forton, St. John the Baptist Church, Draper, Utah
St. Cecilia, 5ft polychrome Forton, Cosegrove School, Holiday, Utah
Our Lady of Lourdes 5ft polychrome Forton, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Magna, Utah
Merit Award, Springville Art Museum, Springville, Utah
Three quarter life size Nativity Scene, Juan Diego High School, Draper, Utah
Our Lady of Guadalupe 8ft polychrome bronze monument, Skaggs Catholic Center, Draper, Utah
St. Joseph with Christ Child, 4ft bronze, Skaggs Catholic Center, Draper Utah
St. Francis of Assisi with Animals, 4ft bronze, Skaggs Catholic Center, Draper, Utah
Indiana
Tuskegee Airman 6ft Bronze, Miller Beach Aquatorium, Gary, Indiana
Octave Chanute, 6ft bronze, Miller Beach Aquatorium, Gary, Indiana
Pennsylvania
Renaissance at Roman, 5ft bronze relief, Roman Catholic School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Illinois
A private collection of my Daughters paintings, drawings, and sculptures.