celebration of hebe
august 17, 2009
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Sculpture of the Hebe at the exhibit.
Photograph by Kevin Shaffer. |
Not all urban design projects are large and magnificent. Some of them are as small as street sculptures. The Statue of Hebe by Kevin Shaffer in Manitou Springs is one of them. Shaffer is a landscape architect who is extending his creativity beyond landscaping and into sculpture.
The 2009 Celebration of the Hebe sculpture competition was commissioned by the Historical Society of Manitou Springs as a fundraising for the city. Ten artists were selected from many applicants and commissioned to create Hebe sculptures that were placed around the historic downtown district of Manitou Springs. Hebe was the Greek goddess of eternal youth who is portrayed on the Manitou Springs Town Clock. Artists were given precast sculptures of Hebe to decorate according to their imagination.
Kevin Shaffer extracted his idea from the region and local community. Regeneration and recycling is a main theme in Shaffer’s designs. He selected materials including broken terra- cotta planters and pots, which were associated with the Garden of the Gods and the local landscape. These materials were applied in the form of a mosaic on the precast sculpture of Hebe.
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Sculpture of the Hebe in progress.
Photograph by Kevin Shaffer. |
Sculpture of the Hebe in progress.
Photograph by Kevin Shaffer. |
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Materials. Photograph by Kevin Shaffer. |
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