Sculpture Evergreen dedicates tribute to Olympic gold medalist
By Deb Hurley Brobst
Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 4:38 pm (Updated: September 23, 11:10 am) more
The artistry and grace of Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming has been immortalized in a bronze sculpture on the grounds at Evergreen Lake.
Olympic gold medal figure skater Peggy Fleming prepares to unveil the Peggy Fleming Tribute sculpture at Evergreen Lake on Sept. 17 as Tricia Rosenthal, president of Sculpture Evergreen watches.
The 8-foot-tall sculpture of a figure skater stands on a granite pedestal to the right of the Lake House entrance in a spot where children skating on the lake will be able to see it. Fleming, who attended the outdoor dedication Thursday with her husband of 50 years Greg Jenkins, said she loved its location.
“This is a day I will never forget,” Fleming told about 80 people from Sculpture Evergreen, the Evergreen Park & Recreation District and the City of Denver, which owns the lake property. The sculpture is now part of Sculpture Evergreen’s permanent collection that can be seen throughout Evergreen.
Tricia Rosenthal, president of Sculpture Evergreen, told the audience that the organization, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, was thrilled to be part of bringing the Peggy Fleming Tribute sculpture to Evergreen Lake.
Before the ceremony, Fleming told well-wishers that she had no idea that her success would inspire generations to come.
Fleming was the only American athlete to win a gold medal in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. She also has five U.S. titles and three world titles, and she spent more than 20 years as a TV commentator. Her legacy also is detailed at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.
Rosenthal asked the audience how many remembered Fleming on the ice in her chartreuse outfit in 1968 for the performance that earned her the gold medal. Nearly all hands went up.
The sculpture depicts a young woman joyously skating, and Fleming said she was pleased with the details such as the arms and legs in the perfect position.
Sculptor Harold Linke called Thursday the culmination of hard work to bring the sculpture to fruition.
“Sculptors live for these moments,” Linke said. “We spend all this time imagining what it will look like. Then you see it with people around. … Being here today is more than my heart can hold.”
The sculpture is a replica of one Linke made in 2018 in honor of the 50th anniversary of Fleming’s gold. His stylized sculpture of a figure skater was used for the trophy for a new skating competition that Fleming created that takes into account the artistry of the skating more than the athleticism. Fleming is revered for her artistic skating. The Peggy Fleming Trophy was awarded for the third time in July during a virtual competition.
The Evergreen project began when Linke told fellow Sculpture Evergreen members about the trophy and Fleming, and one thing led to another, and the notion of a permanent sculpture was born.
Rosenthal called the new permanent sculpture the “crown jewel” of Sculpture Evergreen’s collection, “not only for its beauty but for what it represents: a community that values art. It’s a culmination of building strong bonds.”
Allegra “Happy” Haynes, executive director of the Denver Department of Parks & Recreation, lauded Sculpture Evergreen for its efforts to bring more public art to the area.
By Deb Hurley Brobst
Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 4:38 pm (Updated: September 23, 11:10 am) more
The artistry and grace of Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming has been immortalized in a bronze sculpture on the grounds at Evergreen Lake.
Olympic gold medal figure skater Peggy Fleming prepares to unveil the Peggy Fleming Tribute sculpture at Evergreen Lake on Sept. 17 as Tricia Rosenthal, president of Sculpture Evergreen watches.
The 8-foot-tall sculpture of a figure skater stands on a granite pedestal to the right of the Lake House entrance in a spot where children skating on the lake will be able to see it. Fleming, who attended the outdoor dedication Thursday with her husband of 50 years Greg Jenkins, said she loved its location.
“This is a day I will never forget,” Fleming told about 80 people from Sculpture Evergreen, the Evergreen Park & Recreation District and the City of Denver, which owns the lake property. The sculpture is now part of Sculpture Evergreen’s permanent collection that can be seen throughout Evergreen.
Tricia Rosenthal, president of Sculpture Evergreen, told the audience that the organization, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, was thrilled to be part of bringing the Peggy Fleming Tribute sculpture to Evergreen Lake.
Before the ceremony, Fleming told well-wishers that she had no idea that her success would inspire generations to come.
Fleming was the only American athlete to win a gold medal in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. She also has five U.S. titles and three world titles, and she spent more than 20 years as a TV commentator. Her legacy also is detailed at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.
Rosenthal asked the audience how many remembered Fleming on the ice in her chartreuse outfit in 1968 for the performance that earned her the gold medal. Nearly all hands went up.
The sculpture depicts a young woman joyously skating, and Fleming said she was pleased with the details such as the arms and legs in the perfect position.
Sculptor Harold Linke called Thursday the culmination of hard work to bring the sculpture to fruition.
“Sculptors live for these moments,” Linke said. “We spend all this time imagining what it will look like. Then you see it with people around. … Being here today is more than my heart can hold.”
The sculpture is a replica of one Linke made in 2018 in honor of the 50th anniversary of Fleming’s gold. His stylized sculpture of a figure skater was used for the trophy for a new skating competition that Fleming created that takes into account the artistry of the skating more than the athleticism. Fleming is revered for her artistic skating. The Peggy Fleming Trophy was awarded for the third time in July during a virtual competition.
The Evergreen project began when Linke told fellow Sculpture Evergreen members about the trophy and Fleming, and one thing led to another, and the notion of a permanent sculpture was born.
Rosenthal called the new permanent sculpture the “crown jewel” of Sculpture Evergreen’s collection, “not only for its beauty but for what it represents: a community that values art. It’s a culmination of building strong bonds.”
Allegra “Happy” Haynes, executive director of the Denver Department of Parks & Recreation, lauded Sculpture Evergreen for its efforts to bring more public art to the area.