All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Spear Lodge Man, which was removed in October 2021, is undergoing restoration by Dustin Wolf, son of the late original artist Eddie Running Wolf, at Jeff Wolcott's shop at 9700 Niwot Road.
Spear Lodge Man, the iconic tree carving by the late artist Eddie Running Wolf, has been almost completely restored to its former glory by his son, Dustin Wolf, and the community is invited to the workshop of Niwot's Jeff Wolcott to see the result.
Wolcott, who has assisted Dustin Wolf in the restoration process and provided a workspace for the project since 2021, is hosting an open house as part of Niwot's First Friday Art Walk on July 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at his workshop at 9700 Niwot Road. Wolcott urges visitors to carpool as his property can only accommodate approximately 12 vehicles at a time.
The Niwot Cultural Arts Association is sponsoring the event with Wolcott, which will include refreshments, as well as an opportunity for visitors to observe the restored sculpture and hear directly from the artist Dustin Wolf and Wolcott as they describe the process.
Spear Lodge Man, also known as Biitoheinen in the Arapaho language, is the first of the three tree carvings to undergo restoration. Plans are in place to remove the remaining two tree carvings, Cheyenne Holy Man and Eagle Catcher, so they too can be dried out and restored. The original project involved Ni-wot Prairie Productions, a non-profit organization which worked with Eddie Running Wolf and other community members and organizations to fund the creation of the tree carvings along Niwot Road near the intersection with 79th Street.
To date, the NCAA has worked with the Niwot Business Association, with partial funding by the Niwot Local Improvement District (LID), to cover the cost of the removal and restoration.
The NCAA has kicked off a new fundraising project to cover the costs of relocating and preserving all three tree carvings. The NBA's Lobsterfest event recently contributed $3,000 toward the project.
Dustin Wolf has been able to use parts of the original tree stump to provide wood to replace those parts of the original carving that have deteriorated, largely due to the tree roots continuing to bring moisture to the tree trunk. The restoration process requires that the carvings first be removed, then dried out before additional restoration can begin.
The NCAA has formed a Tree Carving Committee to oversee the project, which is working with representatives of the NCAA, the Sculpture Park Committee, the Niwot Business Association, Cottonwood Park West Homeowners Association, and the Native American community.
Anne Postle, an architect and artist, chairs the committee, which includes Jim Fudge, Chuck Klueber, David Lee, Lisa Rivard, Jack Trope, Biff Warren, Jeff Wolcott, and Dustin Wolf. Among the matters being considered are how to best preserve the restored tree carvings, the best location for the restorations, the possibility of creating life size metal replicas, the creation of miniature metal sculptures or maquettes to be made available to substantial donors and how the sculptures fit within the master planning process which the LID is currently undergoing.
Donations can be made to the NCAA, P.O. Box 733, Niwot, CO 80544, or online at http://www.niwotarts.org.
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