The Calgary Stampede has introduced a sandy spectacle to the BMO Centre, with six sand sculptors crafting 10 Western-themed art displays that evoke the spirit of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. The sculptures, which were created live in front of spectators during the first week of Stampede, are on display throughout the BMO Centre concourse, Western Oasis, The Market and Community Square.
Heavy Horse Show Sculpture Stands Out
The largest piece is the Heavy Horse Show sculpture, which took four artists 70 to 80 hours to finish, weighs 40 tonnes and is roughly 10 feet high. It is displayed in the Western Oasis. The second-largest piece depicts the founders of Stampede, Guy Weadick and Flores Ladue, weighing approximately 30 tonnes. The remaining sculptures weigh in the five-tonne range, with all sand provided by AG Baxter.
SandQube Leads the Project
The project was headed by Karen Fralich, a founding member of SandQube — which provides sand sculpting services — and a five-time sand sculpting world champion. “The Calgary Stampede approached us in February with the idea of creating sand sculptures that tell the story of the Stampede,” Fralich said in a statement to Postmedia. “Working together, we developed an exciting plan to bring that vision to life.”
With 30 years of experience in the medium, Fralich recruited Rusty Croft, a California-based artist and longtime friend, alongside four other artists — Isabelle Gasse, Guy Olivier Deveau, Abe Waterman and Marie-Line Gagne. All come from different backgrounds but share an affinity for ephemeral mediums, ranging from sand to snow and ice.
Artists Connect with Public
“In the sand world, there’s only a few hundred of us, so we all know each other. And you kind of hire out according to the job, whether it’s portraits, animals, lettering, architecture, interacting with people — that’s a big part of it, too,” Croft said. “Not every artist can do all that.”
Croft specializes in Western art and has been travelling the world for the past 20 years showcasing his sand skills, making him an ideal candidate for the Stampede job. He could be seen explaining the Heavy Horse Show sculpture to spectators, and said the topics ranged from how the sculpture was built to why he makes temporary art. “All over the planet there is sand, and everyone has played in it at some point in their life,” he said. “So you have this instant connection with people, and that’s what public art is all about. It’s the tangibility of it, and it always brings back a childhood memory.”
Teamwork and Process
The team worked together to craft each piece, with Croft saying every sculpture requires the entire team to craft the foundation. “Each sculpture usually takes one whole day of prep work — that’s shovelling it up into a pile, compressing it and then you let it sit overnight,” he said. “Then we split off (and) divided up to do the sculptures, so we could carve them all at once. Usually had one or two per sculpture, and then just run around and help out.”
