Ken Bortolazzo
Ken Bortolazzo is a sculptor from Santa Barbara, California, known for his work in kinetic and optikinetic stainless steel sculptures.
While studying at Santa Barbara City College, Bortolazzo learned how to weld from Julio Agostini, and apprenticed with painter Kenneth Noland. When New York sculptor George Rickey opened his Santa Barbara workshop, Bortolazzo was hired as his studio assistant, and eventually he evolved into Rickey's acknowledged colleague. After Rickey's death, Bortolazzo became a conservationist for the Rickey estate.
Bortolazzo's sculptures are included in corporate collections, including the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington.
A sculpture by Bortolazzo was placed in Century City, California in front of Century Plaza Towers. Another can be seen on the Westmont College campus.
Bortolazzo's work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Outdoor Arts.
In 2023 and 2025 Bortolazzo's work was included in shows to raise money for Ganna Walska's botanic garden Lotusland in Montecito, California.
In 2006 sculptures by Bortolazzo were displayed along Santa Barbara's State Street in a joint project between the city and county of Santa Barbara.
Bortolazzo is one of the artists featured in Tina Skinner's book, "100 Artist of the West Coast II."