Sculpture in the Park

Sculpture in the Park show in Loveland offers a variety of styles

Sculpture in the Park started out in 1983 as a western bronze show open to artists willing to pay the fee.

Eight years later, the annual outdoor sculpture show became a juried exhibition featuring a variety of styles, sizes and mediums.

The 28th annual show this weekend favors bronze, stone, glass, wood, ceramic and mixed media.

The styles range from representational to abstract and stylized, or impressionistic, and the sizes from maquette, a term coming from a prototype of a piece, to full size.

"As the show grew and became more visible and recognized as a high quality sculpture show, there was more interest for artists to participate," said Polly Juneau, show business chairwoman for the show.

The Loveland High Plains Arts Council is hosting the show, which will include a patron party on Friday, followed by the public show over the weekend at Benson Park Sculpture Garden, West 29th Street and Beech Drive.

"The setting is unique having it outside in a sculpture garden," Juneau said. "All of the proceeds from the show go directly back to the park."

This year, 170 sculptors from the United States and Canada will be showing and selling 2,000 pieces of their work. Fifty of the artists are from Colorado and 30 are new to the show.

To participate, the sculptors had to submit an application and samples of their work depicted in digital images, which were evaluated by a jury of five judges.

Their work will be displayed all day Saturday and Sunday under four large structural tents and a Take Home a Piece of the Park tent, where small replicas of 50 sculptures in the park will be for sale.

"We have a much more uniform look to our show because we provide all of the materials," Juneau said.

The show is run like an outdoor gallery, Juneau said. The arts council provides the pedestals and display areas and also runs the sales, she said.

"We've encouraged artists to bring smaller pieces, lower-cost pieces," Juneau said. "We thought that would generate more sales."

Proceeds from the show will go toward the purchase of additional sculpture for Benson Park, which currently has 130 pieces, as well helping pay for park improvements and landscaping.

So far, the High Plains Arts Council has donated $4 million to the city of Loveland to go toward the park, Juneau said.