The best way to discover Sterling, Colorado

On our latest trip, Poppy and I had the opportunity to visit Sterling, Colorado.  While scouring the interwebs, I couldn’t find much information about Sterling, so I thought our visit was going to be a wash.  Boy, was I wrong.  In a last-ditch effort from Grandmama, she suggested we go on a tour of the works of sculptor Bradford Rhea.  So, we decided to explore “The City of Living Trees and Sculptures” by doing a scavenger hunt (and if you know me, you know I love a good scavenger hunt).  It really was the best way to discover Sterling, Colorado.

A Bit about Bradford Rhea

For those of you who have never heard of Bradford Rhea (myself included), he is perhaps the most famous local artist.  He began his sculpting career in the 1980s when he started giving dying trees new life.  This started after Sterling experienced a terrible winter freeze in 1982, which killed many large trees.  Rhea brought them back to life by carving them into works of art for the public to enjoy.  The sculptures that were outdoors began to deteriorate due to the weather, so many were brought indoors and restored.  Cast bronze versions were also made and placed outdoors. These sculptures, ranging anywhere from 8 feet tall to 16 feet tall, can mostly be found within the city of Sterling. 

Metamorphosis

The first (bronze casting) and eighth (wood piece) sculpture on our list is entitled Metamorphosis.  The sculpture shows a caterpillar spinning a cocoon and then taking flight as a butterfly.  This was one of Poppy’s favorite sculptures. She even ran back and forth pretending she was a butterfly.  I’d suggest going to see the bronze replica on the lawn of the Logan County Tourist Information Center instead of the wood piece at Northeast Junior College, as you would only have access to that one during school hours and with school personnel permission. 

Tip: While at the Logan County Tourist Information Center, head inside and ask for a map to these amazing sculptures. They have a pamphlet to guide you in the right direction.

Address: 102 N. Riverview Rd (bronze) and 100 College Ave. in ES French Hall (wood)

Scion

Scion, the second sculpture on our list, is made of wood and found within walking distance of the first piece.  Carved from a 100-year-old cottonwood tree, Scion consists of multiple winged figures, “representing the incredible tenacity of those surviving life on the Plains.”  The wings depict their flight through time. 

Tip: Scion is in the Logan County Justice Center.  The door says that you can’t bring your phone in, so if you have a camera, I’d bring it in to take a picture.  Luckily, the sculpture can be found right before you go through security, and if you ask nicely, they may let you take a picture with your phone.

Address: 110 N. Riverview Rd.

Windlace

The third sculpture, carved into wood, is entitled Windlace.  This sculpture is said to symbolize “the courage, grace, and evolution of women” with several women depicted in various poses.  It reminds me of the female figures you’d see on the front of a big ship. This is one of two sculptures that can be found inside the Sterling Public Library.

Tip: Make sure you pay attention to the hours of the library to view the sculpture.  The hours can be found here. 

Address: 425 N. 5^th Street

Seraphim

The fourth sculpture on the list, and the second one in Sterling Public Library, is Seraphim.  This wood sculpture is so ornate: with a lion, ox, man, and eagle all carved with six wings each.  Seraphim is from the bible, found in Isaiah 6:1-13, where he takes away sin.  This sculpture was my personal favorite due to its intricacy and large size.

Tip: Plan to spend some time at the library, as it has a play area for littles.  It’s also a great place to slow down and read a book (or two).

Address: 425 N. 5^th Street

Tiger

The fifth sculpture, Tiger, is made of wood and located inside of Sterling High School.  The high school commissioned the piece, since the tiger is their mascot.  I couldn’t see this one in person since it’s inside of the school, but I’ve included a link to the website so that you can see the details.

Address: 407 W. Broadway Street

Dream Redeemer

Dream Redeemer, the sixth bronze sculpture, was so well thought out.  The idea is that he can rewind time to make all your dreams come true, which would be pretty amazing.  I can only describe it as a sea monkey sitting on a time machine with globes (possibly for dream collection) off to the side.  When you go to see this sculpture in Prairie Park, take a look at the bottom of the pedestal.  It appears to be a giant clock!

Address: 807 Elm Street

The Mask

The Mask is a wooden sculpture of the traditional comedy/tragedy theme, which makes its location of a theatre the perfect location.  Since this is located inside of Northeast Junior College, and they happened to be having an event in the theatre, I couldn’t take a picture of this sculpture; however, I’ve included the link from the website.  If you look closely at the sculpture’s gown, you can see a long crack which occurred during the carving process.  Rhea did a great job of trying to camouflage the flaw by hiding in the gown’s folds. 

Address: 100 College Ave. – ES French Hall

Plainsman Pete

Plainsman Pete is actually the ninth statue on our list (remember, the eighth statue that we talked about as it was replicated with the first statue) and can also be found inside at Northeast Junior College.  The plainsman is holding the College’s letters and a shotgun, while dressed in colonial garb.  My favorite detail on this sculpture is the snarl on his face.

Tip: This wooden sculpture is right inside the door to the library, which means you can walk in and look at it, but you have to go during library hours.

Address: 100 College Ave. – Library

Jack

Jack is the third statue found at Northeast Junior College and is in the Event Center Courtyard.  This bronze statue honors Jack Annan and his 38 years of service to the college and to Colorado agriculture. 

Address: 100 College Ave. – Event Center Courtyard

Skygrazers

Skygrazers is a bronze statue found in Columbine Park. The statue has become the symbol of the “City of Living Trees.”  The statue depicts five giraffes with their necks stretched up to the sky.  I can only imagine that these were big branches of the elm tree from which this sculpture was originally crafted.

Tip: While at Columbine Park, either take some time to play on the playground or sit on one of the benches to watch the trains go by.  We saw the longest train pass by while we were there.

Address: 1212 S. 3^rd Ave.

The Minuteman

A bronze depiction of a minuteman is the twelfth sculpture on our list.  This revolutionary-era guardsman is poised and ready to protect with his rifle.  It’s so fitting that it’s located near the National Guard Armory.

Tip: This sculpture was the most difficult for us to find.  The pamphlet lists it as in front of the Colorado National Guard Armory, but we actually found it across the street towards the end of Columbine Park. 

Address: 1400 S. 3^rd Ave.

The Dreamer

The Dreamer is a bronze sculpture of a clown, which Poppy thought was pretty funny.  I’m not a huge fan of clowns, so I could’ve done without seeing this one.  (But since I’m dedicated to giving you all possible information, I decided to deal with my fears and snap a picture.) 

Tip: While visiting this statue, please make time to play in Pioneer Park!  This was by far our favorite park.  The playground is adorable and built to look like a farm!  The play structure was a barn, and it had a pretend chicken coup with chickens and even a pigsty with a mama pig and baby piglets.

Address: 17615 Hwy. 14

Full Swing

Full Swing is the fourteenth, and final, sculpture on our list.  This wooden sculpture is found inside the shop at the Northeastern 18 golf course and shows a golfer mid-swing.  The original wood statue was actually carved near the first tee of Sterling Country Club. 

Address: 17408 Hwy. 14

An amazing time was had exploring the city of Sterling, Colorado, while finding these beautiful sculptures.  We got to see several parks, trains, have fun at the library, and learn so much more about Sterling.  If you happen to be driving through, we suggest you swing into the Logan County Tourist Information Center, grab a pamphlet, and start exploring! Want to learn more about Bradford Rhea? Use this link to schedule a tour of his studio.

Interested on visiting Sterling, Colorado on a road trip? Check out our blog on potty training necessities for travel here.