A welding fabricator by trade, Joe Cole only dabbled in steel and bronze sculpting as a pastime and then eventually gave it up in 1993. But 30 years later, after he made an urn for his departed family dog, Cole caught the passion for creating again.
At the same time, the Northglenn resident couldn’t shake a persistent echo in his head of an owl calling out, “HOO.” He decided then he needed to mold something that paid homage to an owl building a life in a tree in the forest.
“The conclusion was made, and I spent an estimated 40 hours sculpting the bird and a limb to hold,” Cole said. He spent another 30 hours adding three more owlets and a tree trunk.
Later, he added moss to represent growth, a snail for patience, a stump for reaching out, and a mouse for courage. The result is a steel statue called “Hoo What Where and When” by Cole, and the sculpture is being displayed this year at Northglenn’s EB Rains J. Memorial Park.
His work is also featured in Castle Rock and Alamosa. But the one in Northglenn holds special meaning for the 60-year-old since it was his first attempt to have his work displayed for the public.
He entered three of his sculptures into four cities in Colorado to exhibit. Three accepted his work.
“I wanted to share with the public…and Northglenn is my only home, and I wanted to share a piece of me,” Cole said via email. “Three out of four ain’t bad.”
Other sculpture programs that dot the Front Range host Colorado artists from varying backgrounds who have molded bronze and steel frames that lure the eyes with humor and mysticism. From novice to well-established, artists say metro cities have offered nurturing environments for their projects.
Charlotte Zink — whose home studio is in Berthoud — produced “Eternal Echoes” for the Northglenn exhibit. But her handiwork has been shown, some permanent, at several locations surrounding Denver.
They include Westminster’s Sculpture on Loan, Lafayette’s Art on the Street, Art in Public Places in Longmont, heArt of Lyons, Hudson Gardens in Littleton, Douglas County Art Encounters, Sculpture Evergreen and Art 2C on Havana in Aurora, Zink said.
“It’s wonderful to see the arts supported in these communities,” Zink said via email.
Bill Bunting’s “With Wings Like Eagles” is also featured in Northglenn. He said the same sculpture is part of a year-long project with the Douglas County Art Encounters program at Sterling Ranch in Littleton.
He has other sculptures at Brighton, Monument and Alamosa that will be shown through this year, he said.
The works of Cole, Zink and Bunting are part of an annual effort in Northglenn to get more people acquainted with the unique nature of outdoor sculptures, say city officials.
Sponsored by the Northglenn Arts & Humanities Foundation, the exhibit at EB Rains J. Memorial Park features six new sculptures as part of the city’s 2024-25 Art on Parade program. Officials say the sculptures, including those of Cole, Zink and Bunting, were chosen by a diverse volunteer committee in February and will be on-site at the park for one year.
The other works and artists chosen for the 2024-25 season include: “Spiral Vortex” by Diego Harris, “Sun Lion” by D’Jean Jawrunner and “Magnify” Kirk Seese. Photos of the works are available on Northglenn’s website.
The annual Art on Parade program is an on-loan outdoor sculpture exhibit funded by NAHF and the Adams County Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Artists loan their pieces to the program for one year, and park patrons are asked to vote for their favorite by paper ballots available at the Northglenn Recreation Center and online. The deadline to vote for this year’s sculptures is Nov. 1, 2024.
The sculpture with the most votes is dubbed “The People’s Choice” and will be purchased by NAHF and gifted to the City of Northglenn for permanent placement in the city. The sculptures are also available for sale to the public.
The new sculptures will remain at E.B. Rains Jr. Memorial Park through May of 2025. The park is located at 11701 Community Center Drive, half a mile south of 120th Avenue and Grant Street in Northglenn just south of the new Webster Lake Promenade.
The NAHF is a non-profit group that provides funding for “dynamic theatre, public art, and other cultural endeavors in the city. The NAHF was founded in 1990, according to the NAHF website.
Zink, a native of New Orleans, came to Colorado and received a Bachelor of Studio Arts and Art Education for CU-Boulder. After working with many mediums, the past 25 years Zink has collaborated with her partner Ben to create Zink Metal Art, Zink said.
The steel “Eternal Echoes” was created in 2022 after Zink lost someone very special to her, she said. The sculpture symbolizes the beauty of a vast universe, Zink said.
“We are all just specks of stardust making our way on this earth, hoping to explore and share life together, this incredible gift of life we’ve all been granted,” Zink said. “Let’s make the most of our amazing gifts while we’re all here together. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, contemplating and celebrating our miraculous journey in and being a part of this beautiful universe.”
Bill Bunting said his iron “With Wings Like Eagles” has been an inspiration to those who view it. The piece is also one of his favorites, he said via email.
“I chose the piece to display at Northglenn because I have always had a strong interest in the Native American culture and the history of the West and love sharing that with others through my art,” Bunting said.
The inspiration for the sculpture “With Wings Like Eagles”, Bunting said, comes from the belief of most Native American Tribes that the Eagle and Eagle Feathers are sacred, carrying their prayers to The Creator, combined with a passage from the ancient text of Isiah which states, “Those who wait upon The Creator shall mount up With Wings Like Eagles.”
Bunting pointed out that the following original poem is mounted at the base of the sculpture.
"With Wings Like Eagles"
With patience he has learned to wait
For the strength the Spirit brings
Now he rides high upon the winds
As if on eagles’ wings
Now he walks and is not weary
Now he runs and will not fall
His strength is overflowing
As he heeds the Spirits call
With patience he has learned to wait
For the strength the Spirit brings
Now he rides high upon the winds
As if on eagles’ wings
Now he walks and is not weary
Now he runs and will not fall
His strength is overflowing
As he heeds the Spirits call