John Kearney (1924–2014) was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He studied at the Cranbrook Acadamy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan from 1945 to 1948 and then in Italy on a Fulbright scholarship. In 1951, he became Director of the Contemporary Workshop in Chicago, a long time held position. From 1962 to 1970, he was President of the Provincetown Art Association. In his sculpture, he explores figurative expression, often large animals, with bronze and steel.