ZIMBABWEAN sculptor Alex Chitura flew the country’s flag high at Loveland’s 40th Annual Sculpture in the Park at Benson Sculpture Garden in downtown Loveland, Colorado, the United States, last weekend.
Loveland could be the biggest little art enclave in the US.
It is home to four free public sculpture parks containing over US$12,5 million in art, dozens of galleries and some of the biggest and best bronze and steel foundries in the country.
During this annual event, the Benson Sculpture Garden, which typically boasts 178 sculptures, added about 1 800 more to its ranks, thanks to the skilled hands of 155 award-winning artists.
According to reports coming out of the US, Chitura’s works, the festival fan favourite, celebrated the majestic animals from his African home.
Born in Zimbabwe, Chitura attended Masvingo College of Art and graduated in 1979 with distinctions in welding and sculpting.
In 2005, he relocated to San Diego, California, where he continues to use those skills to craft detailed depictions of the motherland’s most well-known residents such as giraffes, lions, rhinoceros and elephants.
“But what makes Chitura’s sculptures so striking is that these animals don’t appear suspended in time. Rather, they seem ready to stomp, stalk or stride right off the plinth. You can also find his work permanently displayed at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park,” 5280 said.
- Sculptor Chitura takes Zim animals to the US
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The show’s popularity has ballooned since its debut in 1984.
A brainchild of local [Colorado] sculptor George Walbye and four of his peers, Sculpture in the Park featured 50 local artists its first year and attracted 2 000 attendees who purchased US$50 000 worth of art.
Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, the show typically brings in more than US$1 million in art sales.
“Our patrons live for this,” said Amy Huggins, business manager for the Loveland High Plains Arts Council, which presents the show.
“I have people call from the East Coast and they’ll say, ‘Amy, is so-and-so going to be in the show this year?’ They want to know before they purchase their flights, hotels and tickets to the show.”
“Though there are artists who have participated for years, there are always opportunities to find new favourites or reconnect with familiar faces,” 5280 wrote.
“This year, 18 new artists will have artworks on display. Whether you have attended this show since the 1980s or the only sculpture you have seen is the Statue of Liberty,”
