LUBBOCK, Texas — Two days after her death, members of the community remember the life of Glenna Goodacre, and the impact she made not only in Lubbock, but the world.
Goodacre was born in Lubbock in 1939. She graduated from Monterey High School before moving to New York to study at the Art Students League. Family friend and artist, Toni Arnett said Goodacre was not afraid to break boundaries.
“She did a lot of crafts and had sales in her garage, and she did well,” Arnett said.
Goodacre mostly sculpted in bronze, and is known for creating the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington D.C., as well as designing the Sacagawea dollar coin.
“She was a person that didn’t want to start at the bottom, so she started at the top,” Arnett said.
Arnett said Goodacre was the reason she pursued art. Arnett enjoyed drawing and painting, but admitted she was shy when she was younger. Goodacre asked her to attend a class at a paint store.
“If she hadn’t done that, would I have ever started?” Arnett said.
Arnett said the two friends travelled the world together to places like China and Europe. She said Goodacre was outgoing, and never met a stranger.
“She had a huge influence on me,” Arnett said.
Goodacre’s art can be found around Lubbock, including the sculpture ‘Tug o War” and the Preston Smith Statue, among countless others.
The “CEO” is the last sculpture Goodacre have to Texas Tech University before announcing her retirement in 2016, marking a strong relationship with the university.
Goodacre is known as “America’s Scultpor.” Emily Wilkinson, Director of the Public Art Program for Texas Tech said one of things that makes Goodacre’s art so significant is its accessibility. She also won several awards for her art.
“That was her goal–to bring art down to a level where it felt like it was something they could enjoy, something they could relate to,” Wilkinson said.
Goodacre was 80 when she died.