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Chief Blackhawk at theSculpture Park
Emma Big Bear, Ho-Chunk basket artist, MacGregor, Iowa
Mississippi River Sculpture ParkPrairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Touch HistoryA publication of the Friends of the Mississippi River Sculpture Park
June 8, 2010 - Vol 1, Issue 2
In This Issue
Lochner Building Burned
Aftermath of the Fire - Friends of the
Sculpture Park Step Up to Help
Speaker's Bureau Calendar
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Quick Links
Telegraph Herald story, June 7, 2010
Lochner Motors building f ire - Jeff
Lenhart photos
Dramatic photos - Lochner Building
Dear Marilyn,
We plan to issue our e-newsletterquarterly, with additional issues fromtime to time bringing important news toyour attention. We did not expect to doso immediately following our first issue.However, we are sad to report a fire inPrairie du Chien destroyed the LocknerBuilding on Blackhawk Avenue. Thebuilding's storefront displayedmaquettes and artifacts related to theMississippi River Sculpture Park andthe building provided storage for otherimportant documents, art works,artist's supplies and materials for theSculpture Park and its sculptor,Florence Bird. Follow this unfolding story:
Lochner Building - June 7, 2010 AM
f ire
Lochner Building Fire Destroys Sculpture Park Display
The former LochnerMotors Buildingcaught fire in theearly morning of June7. Located at thecorner of BlackhawkAvenue and S.Michigan St., thebuilding housed adisplay of 20 claymaquettes illustratingthe plan for theMississippi RiverSculpture Park at
Prairie du Chien's St. Feriole Island. (Photo courtesy of CathieNelson.)
In addition to the clay maquettes, drawings, paintings and artist'ssupplies were destroyed by the fire. The artist, Florence Bird, said,"I've never seen anything so devastating in my life...All of the 20maquettes, the big river painting and others, our brochures, DaveSkemp's model of the pontoon bridge, two baskets woven byEmma Big Bear and loaned to the display by a private owner - allare completely gone. Thank God there were no people in thebuilding."
Bird and Sculpture Park Board members affirmed that the firewould not diminish the group's commitment to realizing the visionfor the Park.
Aftermath of the Fire - Friends of the Mississippi River Sculpture Park Step Up to Help
Volunteers are presently pulling together an inventory of everything that the sculptor and other donorsand volunteers for the Park stored in the building. Some destroyed paintings, art works and artifactsare irreplaceable, particularly the original basketry of Emma Big Bear on loan for display from a privatecollector. The artist had moved her art work and supplies to the Building just last week; thesecontents were not insured.
Help Sculpture Park volunteers cope with the impact of the fire. The Park's sculptor needs to replaceart supplies, tools and display materials, and to sculpt new clay maquettes replacing the 20 clayfigures burned in the fire. The Board needs to reprint brochures and promotional materials, replaceexhibition supplies and reconstruct records.
You can help. To make your tax deductible charitable contribution, download the donor form, TouchHistory - Become a Friend.
Thank you for your friendship!
Sculpture Park Speaker's Bureau Calendar - June 2010
June 10 - 9 AM at City Hall - 10 minute
Casting bronze sculpture at the foundry for the Park.
Presentation to the Prairie du ChienVisitors Council by Florence Bird. "MakingCast Bronze Sculpture - Art andArtisanship."
June 15 - 7 PM at City Hall - Presentationto the Prairie du Chien Common Council byFlorence Bird. "The Vision of theMississippi River Sculpture Park." Councilmeetings are broadcast on local Channel6.
City Hall, 214 E. Blackhawk AvenuePrairie du Chien 53821.
Photo by Cathie Nelson at the Milw aukee foundry w here the Sculpture Park bronze statues are cast. Published w ith
permission.
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Mississippi River Sculpture Park | 5410 Dahlia Court | Middleton | WI | 53562
