Sisters unveils sculpture of wild stallion

About 100 people attended the unveiling of a sculpture donated by Lorenzo Ghiglieri to the City of Sisters on Tuesday, June 9.

The bronze 10-foot statue is located at the corner of Larch Street and Cascade Avenue on the north side, ideally situated to greet visitors entering Sisters from Bend or Redmond.

Attending the ceremony were Jack McGowan, who represented Gov. Ted Kulongoski. He is also a board member for Oregon 150, the group that is planning for the Oregon Sesquicentennial Celebration.

McGowan read a statement from the Governor that said the donation is a very generous gift and is the "...true meaning of public art and service to our communities."

Also present were city officials and members of the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce.

Sisters Mayor Lon Kellstrom said the statue of a rearing wild stallion reflects the Western heritage and spirit of the Sisters community.

"It will be enjoyed by citizens and visitors for years to come," he said. "We're pleased to time this unveiling with the Sisters Rodeo, which kicks off its 69th year this weekend."

Ghiglieri arrived in Oregon 50 years ago from Southern California, fell in love with the state and stayed.

He said he donated the sculpture to remind people of the hardened spirit of the people who settled Oregon: "It is the spirit of the West."

Regarding how long he worked on the statue, he said, "It took all my life to figure out how to do it in two months."

His sculptures and paintings have been presented at the Vatican, the White House and the Kremlin.

Some celebrities who own his sculptures are Tiger Woods and General Norman Schwartzkopz.

Ghiglieri operates his gallery just across the street from the statue on Cascade Avenue. His Web site is http://www.art-lorenzo.com.

Several Sisters residents are involved with a volunteer organization called Sisters Public Art. The group is working with the City of Sisters to help build a community of art installations and develop a full public art program for the city.

To find out more about Sisters Public Art or the process of contributing a piece, contact the City Manager's Office, 541-549-6022.