SCULPTURE IN THE PARK
The 35th annual Sculpture in the Park raises money for the Benson Park sculpture garden.
This August, 160 sculptors will bring over 2,000 pieces of work to Benson Park in Loveland, Colorado. They gather for the Loveland High Plains Arts Council’s 35th annual Sculpture in the Park. The event began in 1984, with a dream to turn Benson Park into a sculpture garden. Proceeds from that first show—which attracted nearly 2,000 visitors who purchased $50,000 worth of sculpture—went to purchasing sculptures by George Walbye and Dan Ostermiller for permanent placement in the park.
Over the years, the event has attracted 1,344 artists, and enabled the Loveland High Plains Arts Council to purchase 164 sculptures. When it first began, artists mainly offered representational Western bronzes, but as new participating artists arrived, it has expanded into a more diverse display with a variety of sizes and mediums offered. Among this year’s participants are Karen Ehart, Sandy P. Graves and Yenny Cocq.
Seattle-based Ehart says that after she first picked up a glass cutter in 1984, she “was ruined for any real job.” She continuously experiments with the sculptural possibilities of her glass work. She is drawn to color and is inspired by nature, like sea life, microscopic images or a pebble-filled stream bed.
Graves, who will show bronze wildlife sculptures at the show, has participated in the event for nine years now. She says, “Being invited to show here is an important feather in an artist’s cap. It is meaningful to collectors and galleries to see that an artist has the Sculpture in the Park stamp of approval.”
The 2108 edition of Sculpture in the Park kicks off with a Patron Party on Friday, August 10, and the show is open to the public on Saturday, August 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, August 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $8 per person, while children under 14 are admitted free. A show catalog featuring participating artists and their work will be available for purchase, as well as a guide featuring all the pieces on permanent display at the Benson Sculpture Garden.