The Board of Directors of the Loveland High Plains Arts Council
requests the pleasure of your company at the
Dedication Ceremony
of our newest additions in the Benson Sculpture Collection
July 27, 2024, 10:00 am to Noon
The Benson Sculpture Garden Pavilion
2024 Installs
Purchased from the proceeds from the 2023 Sculpture in the park Show and Sale
Strength of the Maker
By Denny Haskew
City of Grand Junction, CO; Canyon City, CO; and private collections throughout the US.
Denny Haskew, a member of the Potawatomi citizen nation, is known for creating art that reflects Native American and Southwestern culture. His work has been described as intensely personal and honest, reflecting recurring themes of spirit, love, forgiveness, healing, endurance, and strength.
Haskew recalled visiting the inaugural Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale in 1984.
“My mom knew that I was messing around with wood carving and stuff, and so I came, and I saw sculpture for the first time with that show,” he said. “It was a lightbulb going off in your head. This is what I should do, and I stayed. I never went back.”
Undeterred by his lack of formal training, Haskew dedicated a year to apprenticeship. His determination paid off when he entered five pieces in the next Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale, using the earnings to expand his portfolio further. Denny is a charter member of the National Sculptors' Guild.
The installation of his “Strength of the Maker” on the grounds of the Benson Sculpture Garden honors the beginning of his career and a life of oneness, love, honesty, and emotional strength.
“'Strength of the Maker' right from its title to the strength shown even in the toes is a statement of how I view my very inner belief. Nature and all things natural have always been of the utmost importance to me all my life. Believing in a God, the Great Spirit, Buddha, Mohammed, the Mysterious One, and other beings of greatness is important. I feel they all exude the same message: a life of oneness, love, honesty, and a source of emotional strength. 'Strength of the Maker' is my visual version of how I see my Maker.” Denny Haskew’s Strength of the Maker is the winner of 5 Best of Show Awards. Other prominent placements of the edition include the National Museum of the American Indian - Smithsonian Institution in DC; the Gilcrease Museum, OK; the Barona Band of Mission Indians, CA; and the Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum, Bastian, VA; Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX; District Courthouse, Flagstaff, AZ;
Forget-Me-Not
By Georgene McGonagle
A Denver native, Georgene McGonagle attended SMU in Dallas, TX, where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, where she took pre-med classes, taught and tutored biology. While her husband studied medicine at Washington University and John Hopkins, she continued teaching biology and mathematics at Mary’s Institute. Georgene took up golf and became a successful competitor and, at 13, was the youngest to play at the state tournament level. Georgene won many Baltimore City golf championships and was invited to play with the Ladies Professional Golf Association. During this time, Georgene was a dedicated trustee of many organizations in Colorado.
In her mid-fifties, a chance touch of clay opened the sculpting world, and she embraced its natural feel. Georgene especially enjoys sculpting her three children and animals realistically but recently found a new joy in a freer and more stylized form, surprising herself and the viewer. The inspiration for this
sculpture came from an adventurous trip to Botswana in the Serengeti, where she fell in love with riding elephants, who are known to feel empathy and grief, much like our humans. From this wonderful adventure, she created this stylized elephant and named it appropriately “Forget Me Not.”
Georgene McGonagle’s works are found in many venues throughout the United States. She has received many Best of Show and First Place awards, including Allied Artists of America, Women Artists of the West, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, and many more.
Majestic
By Robert Larum and Melissa Cooper
This exquisite life-sized Arabian mare, now a cherished resident of the Benson Sculpture Garden, was a heartfelt and deeply personal donation from Sculpture in the Park artist Melissa Cooper and the Larum family. This sculpture is not just a tribute, but a testament to the profound love and respect Melissa and the Larum family hold for Robert Larum, and his 49 years of business with Loveland’s foundries and patina services. Robert Larum's artistic talent was not just showcased but celebrated in the early years of the Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale, and his memory lives on in this beautiful sculpture.
Robert Larum and his wife, Mary Jo, lived in Littleton, CO. It is where he had his studio, where he sculpted and performed much of the process of lost wax casting, including mold making. During World War II, Robert's first encounter with the Arabian horses, brought into his native homeland of Norway by the occupying troops, ignited a spark of inspiration.
This spark, fueled by the magnificent creature's beauty and grace, led to his raising and sculpting of Arabian horses, a passion that would shape his artistic contributions.
The creation of “Majestic” was a joint effort between Robert Larum and his daughter Melissa Cooper. We are left to picture the act of this creation between a father and a daughter as we visit her in the garden. The artists, woven into the fabric of the Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale, are treasured individually and as a pair of beautiful creators.
The Loveland High Plains Arts Council is grateful for Melissa Cooper and the Larum family's donation of “Majestic.”
Venus di Milo
By Bruce Gueswel
“I like to use traditional techniques of mold making, casting, and welding to create pieces using unusual materials and textures. I love classical and ancient sculpture, especially when it is broken randomly and then reassembled by archaeologists.” Bruce Gueswel
His family's background in building profoundly influenced Bruce's artistic journey. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sculpture from Colorado State University in 1986, further honing his craft. His talent and dedication have been recognized with numerous prestigious sculpting awards, including grants from the Colorado Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, a testament to his artistic talent.
Bruce has designed and manufactured custom furniture and commercial art throughout his career. Notably, he crafted Chipotle Mexican Grill's relief sculptures and chairs over 25 years ago.
Venus di Milo first appeared at the 2023 Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale, where Loveland resident Cathy Sloan felt a deep connection with her. Cathy purchased her, and instead of enjoying her in a private collection, she knew she wanted to share her with the guests of the Benson Sculpture Garden. Cathy Sloan graciously donated “Venus di Milo” to the Loveland High Plains Arts Council.
The Loveland High Plains Arts Council appreciates Cathy Sloan's “Venus di Milo” donation.