Here's a press release about the installation of the statue:
Join staff members of the Wyoming State Fair at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 16, as they celebrate the installation of a new sculpture at the State Fair Grounds just behind the horse barns.
"The Champion" is an over-life-sized bronze of a rancher carrying his daughter up on his shoulder in triumph. The daughter holds a Grand Champion rosette up high and wears a big grin. The rancher wears a smile of his own as he enjoys the fact that his daughter is following in his footsteps at the fair (note his own champion belt buckle).
"The sculpture celebrates the excitement of families competing at the state fair," said the artist, Green River native David Alan Clark.
Clark has installed monumental bronzes in Green River, Cheyenne and Ft. Bridger as well as across the country. You can see samples of his work on his website, www.davidalanclark.com.
Models for the sculpture were Wyoming residents Rhett Abernathy (currently playing arena football for the Casper Cavalry) and Kylee McConnell, the daughter of Mike and Angie McConnell of Lander.
The sculpture was cast at Eagle Bronze Foundry in Lander, making this an all-Wyoming project. Funding for the sculpture is from the state's 1% for Art/Art in Public Buildings program that dedicates a percentage of new construction budgets for art in or near state-funded buildings. The program is administered by the Wyoming Arts Council.
The State Fair opens on Saturday, Aug. 14, and continues through Saturday, Aug. 21. For schedule, go to http://www.wystatefair.com/docs/2010/2010Schedule.pdf
For more information on the 1% for Art/Art in Public Buildings Program, or other Wyoming Arts Council programs, call 307-777-7742.
For information on “The Champion” sculpture, call the artist at 307-332-0176.
