2010 Sculpture in the Park records more than $1M in art sales

This year's Sculpture in the Park proved that art lovers will attend a show and make purchases even if it's 95 degrees outside and a county fair is happening the same weekend.

The 2010 Sculpture in the Park saw buyers from 30 states who purchased more than $1 million worth of art, said Polly Juneau of the Loveland High Plains Art Council. This was a 23 percent increase over last year's sales.

"We're very pleased with that, with the economy the way it is," Juneau said. "Everybody was pretty happy."

Seventy-nine percent of artists in the show sold something, a figure that is fairly normal for the Loveland show, but much higher than national sculpture show averages, Juneau said.

"To have almost 80 percent (of the artists) sell is an extraordinary accomplishment," she said.

Additionally, 76 percent of first-time Sculpture in the Park participants sold something, another high percentage, Juneau said.

The show's attendance decreased 25 percent from last year, which Juneau attributes mostly to the weekend's extremely hot weather.

Juneau said she didn't think the Larimer County Fair & Rodeo drew away too many people and that the fair and the sculpture show overlap every four years or so.

Juneau said the fact that the show was less-attended worked in favor of shoppers and artists.

"With it not being so crowded, people had a better opportunity to look (at the art) and talk to the artists, which resulted in more sales," she said.

Each artist was given more display space this year, which allowed for spaces where attendees could walk into an artist's area and step out of the main walkway flow.

"That also made it nicer to see the pieces," Juneau said.

Artist Marlys Boddy and her husband, Joe, both participated in the show this year. They live and work at their home in Missoula, Mont.

Joe Boddy has worked as a children's book illustrator for many years and Marlys is retired. They are both working on their sculpture more, she said.

Marlys Boddy said she appreciated the extra space at the Loveland event that allowed her to talk to people interested in her detailed bust sculptures.

"Sometimes, it's so crowded in there it's hard to get in close," she said. "Everyone could set up the way they chose and because we had a little more space, we had a few more options that way."

Boddy has participated in Sculpture in the Park for seven years. This year, she sold one piece and earned two possible commissions.

Her husband sold four or five of his whimsical, stoneware animal sculptures, she said.

"We paid for our trip and then some," Boddy said. "We were very pleased." Marlys Boddy said she would love to return to the show if she is invited again.

"We are always very glad to be there," she said. "Loveland is a very welcoming town."

Juneau said that 50 percent of this year's sculpture buyers were first-time purchasers at the show.

"We're hoping that more people will be future buyers as well," she said. The show was success, Juneau said, and the High Plains Art Council is still tallying numbers.

A few silent auction pieces are waiting to be sold as well, so the show's final income will be even higher.

"The show exceeded our expectations," Juneau said.