Bart Walter Sculpture

Westminster Library unveils sculpture at entrance

During a 30th anniversary celebration at the Westminster branch of the Carroll County Public Library, sculptor Bart Walter showed off his bronze "Wild Imaginings" sculpture for the first time Friday.

The sculpture, featuring a child reading a book while resting against a lion, is the centerpiece of Mary Lou Dewey Park, a renovated garden area outside the Westminster library.

A crowd of politicians, library supporters and middle school students came to see the statue, which guards the library entrance and is just a few feet away from Main Street.

"When I was a boy growing up in Baltimore city, I frequently felt trapped by the concrete jungle and I wanted to escape but it wasn't really possible," Walter said. "My father wouldn't take me to Bora Bora or the jungles of the Congo, but by reading books, I became a mental traveler. I could go anywhere I wished anytime I wanted." The sculpture is part of an updated garden that was part of a $1.6 million renovation project. It transformed the library property both inside and out. The library has a new roof, carpet and updated children's area.

While renovations were completed, the library needed to be closed for periods of time.

"Our customers were fine because they knew it was going to lead to a much more beautiful interior," said Christina Koontz, the branch manager of the Westminster library. Carroll County Arts Council Executive Director Sandy Oxx recommended Walter to a library committee seeking a sculptor for the garden, which also includes a stage and fresh landscaping.

In order to make the sculpture project come to fruition, donations were necessary. The library got them from longtime donors and East Middle School students, who raised more than $800 simply by offering their own loose change through a poster contest. Several East Middle School students were gathered along the statue's base Friday. More sculptures are planned for the garden, library spokesman Lisa Back said, assuming more private donations fund the projects. She said the garden could have six sculptures.

For now, Walter's lion is the lone art exhibited.

"It will be here for our grandchildren's grandchildren," he said. "That's a heady thing."