# Glenna Goodacre artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/glenna-goodacre/
Profile generated: 2026-05-07T18:36:37.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1939-08-28
- Death date: 2020-04-13
- Nationality: American
- Common media: Bronze sculpture, Terra cotta, Clay

## About Glenna Goodacre

Glenna Goodacre (1939–2020) was an American sculptor celebrated for expressive figurative bronzes that range from intimate portraits to large-scale public monuments. Born Glendell Maxey in Lubbock, Texas, she studied painting and zoology at Colorado College before turning to sculpture, eventually establishing her studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is widely recognized for designing the obverse of the United States Sacagawea dollar coin, issued in 2000, and for creating the Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C. Her work focuses on the human figure across all ages and backgrounds, emphasizing warmth and narrative presence. Over her career she produced numerous commissioned monuments, gallery-scale bronzes, and portrait busts that appear in public and private collections throughout the United States. Collectors and institutions encounter her pieces frequently in the American sculpture market, where her name carries strong recognition due to the breadth and visibility of her public commissions.

## Common works and media

Goodacre's most frequently encountered works are cast bronze sculptures depicting human figures—children at play, dancers, portrait busts, and multi-figure narrative groups. She also produced terra cotta studies, including maquettes related to the Sacagawea dollar design. Her editions range from small tabletop bronzes under 10 inches to monumental outdoor installations. Collectors may also encounter coin-design studies, bas-relief plaques, and smaller maquettes or studies that precede her large-scale commissions.

## Market and appraisal context

Glenna Goodacre's sculptures appear regularly at American art auctions, with demand driven by her nationally recognized public commissions and approachable figurative style. Key factors affecting appraisal include edition size (her editions range from 25 to 2,000), scale, subject matter, casting quality, and foundry documentation. Smaller editions of larger figural works tend to command higher prices. The Sacagawea dollar design and the Vietnam Women's Memorial give her broad name recognition that supports secondary-market interest. As the artist is deceased, remaining works are limited to estate inventory and existing private collections. Attribution and edition verification should reference estate records or foundry documentation.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines identity research from the Library of Congress, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and the artist's official estate with publicly available auction records, estate retail listings, and biographical sources. Appraisal guidance reflects general valuation factors and does not constitute a formal appraisal. For specific works, verified provenance, condition reports, and comparable realized auction prices should be consulted.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82131107
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500335410
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/70282801/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5569200
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenna_Goodacre
- Estate of Glenna Goodacre: http://www.glennagoodacre.com/