Sculptor Artist Leo Mol

Mol was well known for sculpting animals such as bears, graceful female nudes, Ukrainian subjects, and busts or full-length likenesses of prominent personalities. He sculpted portrait-heads of many Winnipeggers, which helped pay his bills and keep his skills sharp for major commissions.



In the course of his career, he sculpted a number of the 50 finalists in the Winnipeg Free Press Greatest Manitobans contest, including Louis Riel, Terry Fox, Sir William Stephenson, Steve Juba and Tom Lamb.


His works around the city include the nine-foot Queen Elizabeth II in the courtyard of the Manitoba Centennial Centre and the sculpture of children climbing a tree in front of the Richardson Building.


Institutions with Mol works in their collections include the Vatican Museum, National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., Art Gallery of Ontario, McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Winnipeg Art Gallery. His pieces are in private and corporate collections throughout Canada, the U.S., England and Europe.


The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in Assiniboine Park opened in 1992 as a permanent showcase for Mol's body of work. Roughly 250,000 people visit the free attraction each year.


In 2002, the Mol sculpture Lumberjacks was featured on a Canadian postage stamp.



Mol, who continued sculpting until he was nearly 90 years old, was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1989 and to the Order of Manitoba in 2000. He received honorary doctorates from the universities of Manitoba, Winnipeg and Alberta, as well as many other honours. He was an elected member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.

Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michael of Kent open the final phase of the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in Assiniboine Park Winnipeg, while Leo Mol, at left, speaks candidly with them.

The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in Assiniboine Park opened in 1992 as a permanent showcase for Mol's body of work. Roughly 250,000 people visit the free attraction each year.
Winnipeg sculptor Leo Mol, right, died Saturday, July 4, 2009 at age 94. Here he is pictured with former Canadian prime minister John Diefenbaker. During a Winnipeg-based career lasting more than 50 years, Mol sculpted popes, cardinals, royalty, statesmen, community leaders, artists of the Group of Seven and many other notable figures.