Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Exhibit

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photo by Bill Lueders

“Terrible Beauty” by Oldrich Pliska, a sculputure created during the 2024 Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival.

“Terrible Beauty” by Oldrich Pliska, a sculputure created during the 2024 Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival.

If you missed the inaugural Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival in June at the San Damiano grounds, you still have a chance to see the amazing large scale wood sculptures the invited artists created over the course of the festival. Eleven artists carved inventive takes on the theme of nature and the environment, and they are available for viewing at Garver Feed Mill and Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The festival honors the late Harry Whitehorse, a Madison-area and Ho-Chunk sculptor whose own works are part of our public art landscape. More info at olbrich.org.

media release: September 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025

OPEN DAILY @ Olbrich Gardens: October - March 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; April - June 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

OPEN DAILY @ Garver Feed Mill: 7:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. (Sundays open at 8 a.m.)

In partnership with the Friends of San Damiano, the Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival was the first biennial weeklong artist-in-residence program, celebrating art, culture, and community. This unique festival brought Indigenous and international artists together to create remarkable wood sculptures, fostering cross-cultural exchange and preserving the legacy of the late Ho-Chunk artist Harry Whitehorse.

A Tribute to sculptor Harry Whitehorse

Harry Whitehorse (1927-2017) was a Madison-area artist known for his remarkably varied work across multiple mediums, including wood sculpture. Wood was one of his first mediums, reflecting the cultural practices and natural environment that shaped his early life. His work deeply connects to his Ho-Chunk heritage, natural surroundings, and cultural history. The Madison area is home to more than 10 of his public sculptures, several of which are from historic trees that had significant meaning for the community.

San Damiano

Dejope, an ancestral home of the Ho-Chunk, was the site of the waterfront Festival Village, known in modern times as San Damiano Monona in Monona, WI. At just under 10 acres, and with nearly 1,500 feet of Lake Monona shoreline, the property has been described as epic, iconic, and even magical. The natural beauty of the property showcases a small arboretum of trees, a variety of native and migratory wildlife, and a natural spring. San Damiano is culturally significant and has a rich history and close connection to the Ho-Chunk nation.

Ho-Chunk Nation

The Ho-Chunk Nation played a pivotal role in the festival by providing support and active participation. Their involvement ensured that the festival honored the cultural and historical significance of the land and the Ho-Chunk people. Cultural demonstrators from the Little Eagle Arts Foundation showcased beadwork, jewelry making, weaving, basket making, and traditional wood carving, representing the culture from which Harry Whitehorse's art originated. This collaboration was essential in creating an authentic and respectful celebration of art and heritage.

The Harry Whitehorse Wood Sculpture Festival was developed to -

• Highlight the cultural importance of Ho-Chunk ancestral land in Dejope (Madison, WI area), emphasizing the need to preserve this beautiful location for future generations.
• Celebrate indigenous cultures and to bring international ideas and culture to the Midwest.
• Honor an indigenous artist, celebrating Harry’s legacy as an artist and teacher alongside his Ho-Chunk identity.
• Create art using wood as the medium, to counter the historical misconception of wood carving as a craft.
• Foster relationships and collaboration between artists and the community.

The Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival invited artists to participate from across the nation and abroad. Artists filled out applications, submitted images of their previous work, and created a proposal that addressed the theme of the festival, Nature and/or the Environment. All the logs were sourced and generously donated by local tree companies Maplewood Tree Service and Heartwood Tree Company. Artists used a variety of tools to complete their sculptures including chainsaws, chisels, grinders, and sanders.

For more information about the Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival, visit www.harrywhitehorse.com/festival.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens and Garver Feed Mill are honored to exhibit the eleven wood sculptures created during the Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival. Five sculptures are displayed outside at Olbrich Gardens, and six sculptures are displayed at Garver Feed Mill, both inside the building and outdoors near The Patio.

Enjoy learning more about the featured sculptures and the artists who created the artwork!