NCAA receives $25,000 grant for tree carving project

The Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA) received a $25,000 grant from the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Foundation last week to support the restoration and installation of three iconic tree carvings by the late artist Eddie Running Wolf. The grant was applied for at the suggestion of Brent Wheeler, Boulder County's liaison for the project.

"Brent had mentioned the grant opportunity when we met with County Commissioner Marta Loachamin and Walt Pourier of the Lakota tribe, who was a good friend of Eddie's," NCAA president Biff Warren said. "Brent stopped by Rock & Rails one night and reminded me that the application deadline was the next day. We put together a proposal, got our tree carving committee to approve it, and submitted it a couple of hours before the deadline."

The NCAA has been working with Boulder County and the Local Improvement District's (LID) Master Plan Committee to find a new home for the carvings, previously located near the Second Avenue and Niwot Road intersection. The exquisitely detailed carvings, representing cultural and artistic heritage, have inspired community efforts to preserve them.

Eddie Running Wolf's son, Dustin Wolf, has taken on the task of restoring the tree carvings. They had been deteriorating as water continued to seep into the trunks from the roots in the ground after the trees had died. He has worked with Jeff Wolcott, who is providing storage and assistance with repairs.

"The first carving, Spear Lodge Man, has already been restored and coated with a preservative to prevent further damage," Warren said. "Dustin and Jeff are continuing their work on the remaining two carvings, Cheyenne Holy Man and Eagle Catcher." The Niwot Local Improvement District has provided funding to support the restoration efforts.

Led by Anne Postle, the NCAA's Tree Carving Committee has been actively looking for a site where a tipi-like protective structure can be built since the tree carvings were removed for restoration. The former location along Niwot Road is unavailable due to the height of the structure.

The committee has proposed a tentative location near the LOBO Trail in Left Hand Valley Grange Park at North 83rd Street and Niwot Road in Niwot. The proposed tent-like structure would give a long-term home to the restored carvings and shelter them from weather damage. It will also allow the carvings to be visible from both Niwot Road and the LOBO Trail.

The $25,000 award will help fund the project, but additional resources will be required to meet the overall estimated budget of $150,000 to $200,000 for building the protective structure and installing the tree carvings.

In addition to the work of restoration and installation, the NCAA applied this summer for funding to make a high-resolution 3D scan of Spear Lodge Man. The scan will be used to make metal replicas of Spear Lodge Man as well as the other two tree carvings that would be placed around Niwot, as well as to create smaller statuettes to be sold as part of the fundraising project.

The NCAA's Tree Carving Committee is planning a community meeting to update residents on the project and gather feedback and input from the public about the future of the carvings and where best to place them.