Paula Mary Turnbull | |
|---|---|
 Turnbull in 1974 | |
| Born | Mary Margaret Turnbull May 26, 1921 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | July 20, 2018 (aged 97) Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery |
| Education | Holy Names College (BA) Siena Heights University (MFA) |
| Notable work | Garbage Goat |
Sister Paula Mary Turnbull (May 26, 1921 – July 20, 2018) was an American sculptor and educator. Known as the "welding nun", she created liturgical and whimsical metal sculptures. Her most famous work is Garbage Goat, a steel sculpture in Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington, that incorporates a vacuum apparatus allowing the goat to "eat" trash. During her career, Turnbull created dozens of public artworks in Spokane and helped organize the installation of public art at the Expo '74 world's fair.
Turnbull lived at the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary where she had an art studio. She taught sculpture and art history at Fort Wright College for 25 years and chaired the college's art department. She received degrees from Holy Names College, Siena Heights University, the University of Washington, the Parsons School of Design, and the Art Institute of Chicago.