ART + DESIGN
“ Io t hwearnat rttoi sht se ilnp any way I can.” John Lopez
In the Boss Cowman Square sits a larger than life sculpture of Ed Lemmon , the city’s founder, on a horse. Lemmon’s horse is made of donated scrap metal, while the founder himself sits comfortably cast in bronze. Incorporated into the sculpture are personal items from the community, including a revolver and a jack knife, donated in honor of Alvin Jacobs , a cowboy who inspired Lopez. Surrounding the gallery, square, and sculpture garden are a series of murals hand-painted by Dotun Popoola and Jonathan Imafidor , Lopez’s friends from Nigeria. “They used to come and visit and wanted to learn how to do scrap metal sculpting, so I would have them do a mural for me while they were there, and now they’re famous scrap metal sculptors in Nigeria,” explained Lopez. “I like the fact they could come and leave their mark here, and our community could learn from them and their culture,” he added. Always working on new pieces, Lopez is unveiling a sculpture in Fort Pierre this summer, and another in Watford City, ND, sometime in 2025. Before he transports pieces to install, Lopez will often show them at the gallery. “There’s always something new being shown or something new going on,” he said.
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