The Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale

Heralded as one of the finest outdoor juried exhibitions of three-dimensional artwork in the United States, Sculpture in the Park brings some of the highest-caliber international sculptors, along with their work, to Benson Sculpture Garden each August. The event is majestically staged against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and attracts thousands of art lovers and collectors from across the country. Benson Sculpture Garden is transformed by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council and their volunteers from a park into a beautiful setting for this outstanding, nationally acclaimed “outdoor gallery” exhibit.

The first annual Sculpture in the Park show was held in 1984, with fifty local artists participating. Two thousand people attended the show and purchased $50,000 worth of sculpture. Over the years, the Sculpture in the Park show has expanded its diversity of work to include representational, stylized, and abstract sculpture in a variety of mediums including bronze, stone, wood, ceramic, glass, metal, and mixed media.

Over the years, more than 1,300 different artists have come to Loveland to display their work at the Sculpture in the Park show. With the addition of new participating artists each year, the show has grown from a primarily representational western bronze exhibit into a more diversified display of sculpture created in a variety of styles and mediums. Held annually on the second weekend in August Sculpture in the Park is the largest outdoor juried sculpture show in the United States with sales over $1 million.

The Loveland High Plains Arts Council

Loveland High Plains Arts Council has been the major source of energy behind the evolution of the visual arts, particularly sculpture, in Loveland.

The Loveland High Plains Arts Council is a private 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors and is supported by hundreds of extraordinary community volunteers. The main focus of LHPAC continues to be the organization and sponsorship of the annual Sculpture in the Park show.

For more information, please contact us at (970) 663-2940 or visit our website at: www.SculptureInThePark.org

Benson Sculpture Garden

Benson Sculpture Garden began as a homestead and became a home for art and natural beauty. The transformation took place over a period of more than a century. The Benson family homesteaded in Loveland in 1877. Robert Benson purchased the property in 1907 from his grandfather and he farmed the land for thirty-eight years. In 1961, the Benson family donated a portion of their farm to the City of Loveland for use as a wetlands area and refuge for birds. That land is now the Benson Sculpture Garden and adjacent ecosystem.

The sculpture garden was the dream of a group of Loveland citizens who saw an opportunity to make even more of the Bensons’ gift. In 1984, a group of five Loveland sculptors, George Lundeen, Dan Ostermiller, George Walbye, Fritz White, and Hollis Williford, together with representatives of the City of Loveland, the Chamber of Commerce and a few interested citizens fostered the idea of a sculpture show in Benson Park. They envisioned the outdoor art exhibition and sale as a unique environment for sculptors from across the country to showcase their work as well as a way to generate funding for a sculpture garden. The City of Loveland designated Benson Park as the site for the sculpture garden and in 1985, it became a reality. The Loveland High Plains Arts Council was formed to oversee the artistic development of the park.

Each year the proceeds generated from the annual Sculpture in the Park show go towards the purchase of sculpture for Benson Sculpture Garden as well as towards the funding of park capital improvements and landscaping. To date, one hundred and seventy-two pieces of sculpture valued at over $5 million grace the grounds of the park. This extraordinary collection of art is situated around a lagoon in the midst of trees, flowers, and natural habitat areas. With the Rocky Mountains as a majestic backdrop, Benson Sculpture Garden has been described as “one of the most unique sculpture gardens in the nation”. It has also been recognized as “one of the 200 most important modern and contemporary art sites around the world” and as “one of the 20 must-see contemporary art sites across the USA”. It is open to the public throughout the year and annually this “public treasure” draws tens of thousands of visitors from around the world. We could not be more proud!

We hope you enjoy your visit!