Show Preview | Sculpture in the Park

Loveland, CO
Benson Sculpture Garden, August 12-14

Laurel Peterson Gregory, Wind Chester, 20 x 7 x 7.

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With its dedication to three-dimensional art and its grand scale, Sculpture in the Park remains the largest outdoor, juried sculpture show and sale in the United States. This year the show marks its 33rd anniversary, opening to the public on Saturday, August 13, at 9:30 a.m., and closing for the day at 6 p.m. The show continues on Sunday, August 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

This year’s show features 160 international artists showing more than 2,000 pieces of sculpture. Several longtime participants are returning this year, including George Walbye, a founder and 33-year participant, as well as David H. Turner, Jeannine Young, Merlin Cohen, and Laurel Peterson Gregory. Also on the artist roster are Jim Eppler, Carol Gold, Pokey Park, Don Rambadt, Pati Stajcar, and Shari Vines.

“It’s a wonderful event for Loveland. There’s a lot of community involvement with more than 400 volunteers,” says Kristi Elyce, show business manager for the Loveland High Plains Arts Council, which organizes Sculpture in the Park. The show’s influence reaches beyond this single weekend, too, with its proceeds benefiting purchases for the Benson Sculpture Garden. The garden’s grassy lawns and shady paths are home to more than 150 sculptures, including six newly installed in June of this year. It’s also the scenic setting for Sculpture in the Park.

Merlin Cohen, Thru to Infinity, alabaster, h32.

Merlin Cohen, of Arizona, says the flawless organization, nonprofit status, and scenic location make this the only show in which he participates. Cohen works in stone, and other participants work in glass, ceramics, and wood, as well as bronze. Following the show’s guidelines, he’ll bring seven pieces, most of which are abstractions based on the Möbius strip, a unique geometric surface. Unlike some artists, Cohen says, “I encourage viewers to touch the sculptures, to run their fingers over the smoothness, the coolness, the sides of the Möbius. It’s a connection to eternity and the universe.”

Following the show’s emphasis on new works, half of Colorado-based Laurel Peterson Gregory’s pieces will be fresh from the foundry. Known for whimsical sculptures of cats, dogs, and foxes, Gregory is now exploring a slightly different style that introduces human and animal relationships as well as relationships between humans. “I’m pushing the envelope a little bit more. The whimsy is there, but there’s a slightly different flavor to it. There is also a different, contemplative aspect. People resonate just as much with contemplation as they do with whimsy,” she says. Gregory also shows a few classic pieces; all but one are in tabletop size. PAUSE FOR REFLECTION, a life-size stylized sculpture of a fox peering down into a body of water, is also installed in the garden.

The show opens with a party for patrons from 3 to 8 p.m. on Friday, August 12. A limited number of tickets are available to the public for $75. “That night is magical. It’s a less crowded, adults-only environment. People really get to talk to the artists in an unhurried way,” Elyce says. —Ashley M. Biggers

contact information
970.663.2940
www.sculptureinthepark.org