The Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) Public Art Program will begin conservation work on two of the City’s masterpieces of public art. 'Bronco Buster' (dedicated in 1920) and 'On the War Trail '(dedicated in 1922), by sculptor Alexander Phimister Proctor, were donated to the City of Denver in the early 1920’s during the City Beautiful period and when the Civic Center area was under development. Work on the sculptures will begin this morning when a local radiography company will X-ray the hooves and leg area of the cantilevered Bronco Buster in order to assess the condition of the inner steel structure.
Civic Center Park will be closed in the area near the Bronco Buster sculpture from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. A 150-foot radius around the sculpture will be roped off during the work, and then a conservator recommended by the Proctor Museum in Washington will make an assessment of the radiography and recommend treatment for both sculptures. Conservation work on both Proctor sculptures will begin later this spring.
“These incredible artworks are almost a century old. On the War Trail recently started showing signs of needing patina work and Bronco Buster is a cantilevered sculpture—we need to check to make sure the structure is sound. All outdoor sculptures—including bronze—require regular conservation and maintenance efforts so they can be preserved for generations to come,” said Kendall Peterson, Public Art Program Manager.
*'Bronco Buster' image from WallyG's Flickr Photostream.
