County funding sought for sculpture

The Sweetwater County Commissioners listened to a request for funding from the Green River Arts Council to help erect a bronze statue in the city’s Mining Memorial Park Tuesday.

Despite commitments from Reid West and Don Van Matre to personally donate to the statue’s creation, the board requested time to consider the request. Discussion after the arts council’s presentation indicates the county is weary of donating tax money for a project within Green River.

“We have to be very careful on what we support and how much because it’s all of the people’s money,” Van Matre said. Commissioners Wally Johnson and John Kolb raised similar concerns while speaking during the discussion.

The commissioners aren’t the only governmental group the arts council has solicited funding from.

Last year, the Green River City Council approved a request for $20,000 towards the creation of the sculpture. that amount, included with $36,000 in private donations received so far makes the total raised $56,000 of the total $96,500 needed to complete the sculpture.

The sculpture, “Shift Change” by Bryan Cordova, was selected by judges at Art of the Green last August as the sculpture that would be placed within the new Mining Memorial Park.

The completed statue will be nine-and a-half feet tall, situated on top of a four-foot pedestal. Jeiremy Gomez, chairman of the arts council, said the sculpture nearly touches the ceiling of the garage it’s being sculpted in. Gomez said the council hopes to place the statue in time for an unveiling this August.

If the council is unable to raise the needed funds by August, they will suspend other activities to focus on the sculpture.

Gomez said the council plans to host a meeting a Western Wyoming Community College to spread word about the sculpture to Rock Springs and the rest of the county.

The council does have a number of fundraising efforts in motion to bring the sculpture’s placement to fruition. The council sold Christmas Tree ornaments depicting the sculpture, and currently sells bricks and pavers, as well as small-scale moquettes, to raise the funds.