ODwyer said both artists are enthusi-

astic about the project and are already

doing their homework on Lincoln
Theyll be inspired by something,
he said.
Although
Montana has
its share of
talented art-
ists, ODwyer
explained why
it was important
to the future
of the project
to bring in
internationally
know artists.
What we
found by put-
ting monumen-
tal pieces, with name recogni-
tion artists as well, is that it open
up doors for other funding.
No project is without its critics and
ODwyer knows the sculpture pathway
will meet with some skepticism from
some locals as well as from some of
the established art organizations.
Theyll look at you and say what
the hell is Lincoln doing putting
sculpture out here, a bunch of crazy
let them say it. Stay on the mes-
sage of what youre doing, because
(in Ireland) they all started coming
and visiting the sculpture park after
a couple years, he said. There will
always people who choose to stand
that area get them to have a lunch
a dinner or get them to stay one night
in a bed and breakfast or a hotel,
that was the idea and it happened.
Drawing on
his experience
with sculp-
ture symposia
and the effect
having a single
destination
can have on an
area, ODwyer
suggested
the planning
committee re-
consider their
tentative plan
for a pathway
throughout
town and, in the initial phases at least,
establish the pathway on Natures
Playground, the 26 acres land that was
originally acquired by the school as
a location for a new high school that
never came to fruition. Doing so will
provide visi-
tors a single
destination
and to provide
a sense of
security for
parents who
may want
their kids to
explore.
During his
presentation
ODwyer,
who will cu-
rate the initial
sculpture
sympo-
sium for
Blackfoot
Pathways
in Sept.
2014, discussed the work of the artists
who had developed pieces for Lough
Boora and looked at a few artists
whose work he felt would go well here.
He already has two artists lined up.
Jorn Ronnau and Steven Siegal
would be the frst two I would bring
over. I feel that they would really work
well within the community and with
education here, so that would be pretty
exciting. Theyre both very excited
about it. Ive already said will you put
it in your books for September be-
cause Rick says were going to do it.
Siegel is an artist from New York
known for his monumental sculptures
created using old newspaper, and
Ronnau is a Danish chainsaw artist.
Page 6 Oct. 31, 2013 Blackfoot Valley Dispatch Page 7 Oct. 31, 2013 Blackfoot Valley Dispatch
Lincoln Community United
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PROCEEDS GO BACK
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Drop off donations of clean, usable items
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Reward
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that results in recovery
of two Yamaha 230
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KTM 300 Cycle.
Call (406)727-8712 or (406)
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The Lincoln
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The Foleys have been herefor nine and a half years taking
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also ofer kitchenwares and paint needs.
Grizzly Hardware also issues huntng and fshing licenses.
From puzzles to knitng supplies, Grizzly has a litle bit of
everything to ofer to the community.
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The Lucky Buck
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And
Kevin O'Dwyer addresses the crowd at he Lincolnn School Gym
Tuyesday, Oct. 22.
Mark Smith listen's intently O'Dwyer's presentation.
"Stories of Katrina, a monolithc scultpure by steven Siegel
created out of 11 tons newspaper, graces the grounds of
the Montalvo Art Center in California. (courtesy photo)
When we live in a community, a
lot of our surroundings we see every
day, we take them for granted. When
you bring fresh eyes to a community
they see all kinds of things, they react
very differently, so its always interest-
ing to have that interaction, Kevin
ODwyer said, which helps explain
why he really wants a tipi burner.
People here may see them as slowly
rusting relics of the timber industry
that used to dominate the Lincoln area,
but to him they are iconic pieces of
Lincolns heritage and are works of
art in their own right, a piece of local
industrial heritage that could serve as
an anchor for the planned Blackfoot
Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild sculp-
ture park on the east edge of Lincoln.
ODwyer, the projects artistic direc-
tor, took advantage of his most recent
trip to Lincoln to the projects planning
committee to build community
support, which is vital to the
projects long-term success.
On Tuesday Oct. 22, nearly
60 people attended a meet-
ing at the Lincoln school gym
to see ODwyers presenta-
tion on what a sculpture park
can bring to Lincoln, based
on his experience in establish-
ing Sculpture in the Parklands
in County Offaly, Ireland.
ODwyer looked at the de-
velopment of Sculpture in the
Parklands at Lough Boora, ex-
plained why he sees Lincoln as
the right location for a similar project
and looked at what the town can expect
to see as the park is established here.
Since the 1940s the economy of
small towns like Ferbane and Kilkor-
mac thrived thanks to the peat harvest
in the Bog of Allen that fueled Irelands
power plants. But, as the peat was
depleted leaving a cutaway land-
scape, the area fell on hard times. In
2000 ODwyer served on a heritage
and arts council for the county and
made a proposal for a symposium to
bring in artists who would develop
monumental, environmental sculp-
tures based on their response to the
landscape, heritage and culture of
the area. The project, which took two
years to coordinate, was originally
supposed to be a one-time sympo-
sium but its success led to an ongo-
ing artist in residency program that
brings in different artists every year.
I would tell you that this area of
Ireland had very little in the way of the
arts. There were no public sculptures
there ... so to put out these large-
scale pieces into this landscape, as an
observer as well as a maker was very
interesting to see. We did not know
how the community would interact
with this, but because we were using
the materials they were so familiar
with and because
they were work-
ing with us and
because the artists
were living in
the community,
they embraced
them, he said.
He explained
that commu-
nity members
had access to the
various artists
on a daily basis
and could see
what they were
and could get an
understanding of
what the art-
ists were saying
with their pieces.
They respected
what they
were doing.
Theyre abstract pieces. Theyre
not fgurative, theyre abstract,
and so that was very interest-
ing as well, to see how people
would interact with that but we
never had any vandalism.
In Lincoln, although a very
different landscape, ODwyer
sees the similarity in the demise
of our logging and mining indus-
tries and he thinks the sculpture
pathway would celebrate the
heritage and culture of the area.
ODwyer, explored differ-
ent types of sculpture parks
and their relationship to communi-
ties for his masters thesis and be-
lieves that environmental sculpture
parks with pieces created in response
to the areas heritage, culture and
landscape connects with a commu-
nity on a deep level and provide a
unique experience for visitors.
Its unique in that it will be very
much about the interaction within
the landscape and the environment
and the heritage of the area, he
said. I think that opens up doors
in a lot of areas and it also ties in
a strong education program.
In Ireland, ODwyer got schools
involved at the outset. He visited the
areas schools, many of which were
Smaller than Lincolns and talked to
them about the project and got them
to sign on. Since then students at
all levels have been coming to the
sculpture park to study the sculpture
as well as the areas environment and
history. Some students have even
spent time with the artists, learning
about the engineering that goes into-
creating a monumental sculpture.
Likewise, he expects Lincoln to
become a destination that schools
will take advantage, and it will pro-
vide Lincoln students with continued
access to visiting artists as well as
a location that promotes differ-
ent ways of looking at things.
I think the beauty of something
like this as well, is that you can bring
your children on site and they can
ramble through and experience those
pieces of sculpture, though I hear
there are bears here, which we dont
have, he said. But there is a lot more
freedom like that for children and it
is a learning process, making them
think; lateral thinking, thinking out
of the box, how we use materials.
With Blackfoot Pathways: Sculp-
ture in the Wild, he also sees Lin-
coln becoming a Montana art and
culture destination over time.
He said people he knows who come
to visit County Offaly to see Sculpture
in the Parklands as one of the area go-
to locations. They love bringing their
friends and their family for a look. The
local commu-
nity, different
times of the
year, with the
sessional chang-
es, they re going
to look differ-
ently. Youll go
back there. Just
a great place to
chill out, in a
very stress free
environment.
As Blackfoot
Pathways grows
as an art and
culture destina-
tion, ODwyer
said commerce
is sure to fol-
low as cultural
tourism grows. He explained that in
Ireland they had about 15,000 people
come to the parklands on the frst year.
They now see about 50,000 annually.
It will become a Montana art
destination once its there. It takes
a while. This is looking at it over
a ten year period, he said.
ODwyer said he didnt approach
the sculpture park in Lough Boora
from a tourism and commerce stand-
point initially but he saw that County
Offaly was a place people drove
through as they traveled between
Dublin to Galway. He saw the impor-
tant role the sculpture park played in
getting them to stop. If you can get
somebody to go out there and explore
back and be cynical about the project.
Thats the nature of all this any-
way, buy if you can embrace the
concept and move it on and see that
its not a short term vision, its long
term vision. Its something you can
see in the community that will build
over a period of time. One symposium
is not going to do much. If you can,
every year, bring in a couple of artists,
thats brilliant for the community
ODwyer told the crowd that
community support, which is
key, can come in many forms.
We need some volunteers, it
doesnt have to be a full time job. It
can be a couple of hours. If you can
clock in and help out with something,
if youve got a truck that you can move
some wood n the area or a backhoe,
whatever it is. All these things will be
useful. Kind of payment in kind, that
you can help out in some way, to be
supportive of the artists and they will
be very supportive of whats going
on here. Thats really the buy in.
Getting the community on board
with the project is vital to the long-
term success of the sculpture park
as well as to the fundraising efforts,
Dunkerley, the project director, ex-
plained. I think the meeting Tuesday
was great for that. I think Kevins pre-
sentation puts some clarity to the idea.
People can visualize what were trying
to do instead of their imaginations
running in every direction, he said.
Lough Boora Triangle by Jorn Ronnau, created out
of bog oak trunks, provides a space or meditation at
Sculpture in the Parklands. (courtesy photo)
By roger dey
BVD Editor
Providing a vision
Kevin O'Dwyer provides a closer look at what Blackfoot
Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild can bring to Lincoln