Hill City's Public Art Project
sponsored by
Detmers Studios, Hill City Area Arts Council,
Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development,
and the South Dakota Arts Council
Peggy Detmers
Art in the Heart of the Hills
Located in the Central Black Hills, near two of the world largest works of art - Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse resides Hill City, a quaint old west town with an eye toward its future.
In 2002 renowned bronze sculptor Peggy Ann Detmers offered the Hill City community an opportunity to purchase a monumental bronze bison for a mere fraction of the cost. Recognizing the potential for this amazing addition to Hill City's bustling Main Street, community groups and citizens launched the "Spirit of the Hills" Campaign.
In January 2003 the campaign reached its halfway mark, thanks to many contributors from the area and from tourists, as well. Several thousand dollars more will bring this bison home. Please consider contributing to this worthwhile project. Help us bring this significant work of art to the Heart of the Hills.
Public Art: Out of the Gallery and into the Street
Works of art in public places promote a location and provide opportunities for citizens and visitors to participate in art and culture. Public art enhances local identity and contributes to the development of a sense of place. Public art can attract companies, creating employment. It also contributes to local distinctiveness and creates a sense of regional identity, encouraging the development of cultural tourism and a sense of pride and ownership for the community itself.
A Bison Monument
An important link between public art, heritage and identity is the monument. It is the most familiar form of public art and is an important symbol for a community. The bison or buffalo is the most powerful symbol of the American West, as well as the spiritual and physical provider for the Native Americans who hold the Black Hills sacred. The bronze bison monument, titled by Detmers "Peaceful Prairie Patriarch" will be more than 11 feet from head to tail, larger than life size.
The Future
Supporters of the "Spirit of the Hills" campaign envision Black Hills wildlife sculptures throughout our city: elk, mountain lion, a big horned sheep, even a turkey or two! We begin with the monumental bronze bison, and seek ways to involve our community, our children and our visitors in the pursuit and enjoyment of public art.
Peggy grew up among the expansive grasslands and productive marshes of eastern South Dakota. Awestruck by massive waterfowl migrations and bountiful wildlife, Peggy became a student of nature. From horseback or afoot she would watch and draw domestic and wild animals alike. She continued her natural studies at South Dakota State University at Brookings where she earned a Bachelor of Science in wildlife & fisheries and general biology.
Even though her degree is in the sciences, Peggy never lost interest in the arts. She took a sabbatical from her biology career to study with professional sculptors and painters. She also studied bronze casting by working at foundries in California and Arizona.
After five years in the Southwest, Peggy returned to western South Dakota and is now a full-time artist using her scientific training to accurately depict her subject matter in a chosen media.
Having recently completed the third largest bronze sculpture in the world, and a total of twenty-seven monumental sculptures completed to date, Peggy has become a seasoned professional in corporate art commissions.
Peggy's latest accomplishment in the monumental realm is the completion of the Dunbar Project. This assembly of fourteen bison and three mounted Lakota warriors (at 125% life size) in a cliff jump scenario was commissioned by Kevin Costner to be center stage of his bison museum and the multi-million dollar Dunbar Resort.
Article published in People Magazine May 12, 2002
Kevin Coster foots the buffalo bill
in a tribute to Lakota heritage
Some movie stars indulge in fleets of shiny sports cars. Kevin Costner opted for a herd of gigantic bronze bison. Flush from his Academy Award triumph for 1990's Dances with Wolves, Costner commissioned a massive sculpture, for about $2 million, depicting a Lakota buffalo hunt. He had hoped to display the 17-piece work (including one 17 foot tall Lakota horseman helping drive a herd of 14 9 foot high bison) on a planned $100 million resort to be built on the actor's 842-acre Deadwood, SD property. With plans for Dunbar resort (named for his Dances character, Lt. John Dunbar) now delayed, the buffalo have been roaming outside a Lander Wyoming, foundry for the past few years.
Under contract to the artist, Peggy Detmers, to put the sculpture on public display by 2003, Costner, 47 is not mapping out a multimillion-dollar venture on his Deadwood land, which includes an intrepretive trail, visitor center and viewing terraces. "it's all Kevin's personal money," say Jim Fisher, the project's manger. "He's very fond of this area."
Just 45 minutes north of Moutn Rushmre, the work will "stand as a separate tourist attraction," notes Jim Wilson, a historic-preservation officer for Deadwood, who says the tiny town (pop. 1,380) welcomes Costner's contribution to the area's cultural fabric. "It's not Mount Rushmore," says Detmer, "but it will be very impressive."
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Chamber of Commerce Quick Links
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HILL CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
324 Main Street, PO Box 253 Hill City, South Dakota 57745 |
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