LOVELAND, CO – Loveland’s sculpture scene is about to get a little… bouncier. Starting this summer, visitors to Loveland’s famous sculpture parks will have a fifth option to explore and experience an entirely new artistic medium: inflatables.
The new park, aptly titled “Air Apparent Sculpture Park,” will feature over 50 inflatable sculptures from vinyl artists around the globe. The park will be located on open land near the TPC Golf Course just inside of Loveland city limits. The picturesque backdrop of the golf course to the south and the Rocky Mountains to the west provides a stunning setting for the park. A wide variety of inflatable art will be included, from a 25-foot-tall rubber duck to a giant inflatable cat that purrs as it inflates and yowls as it deflates.
Blowing Up Expectations
Local art stakeholders say the decision to incorporate inflatable art stems from a desire to “explore new mediums to expand the city’s art offerings while also making sculptures more interactive.” According to Loveland Arts Development Council Director, Patty Airington, “People love our bronze statues, but they also love bounce houses and balloon animals. We thought, why not combine them?”
Vinyl sculptor Avel Hardy sees the park as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. His 30-foot-tall inflatable sculpture of a jar of jelly, appropriately titled “Pump Up the Jam,” has been without a home since he created it in 1989. “For years, I’ve petitioned for it to be added to the sculptures at Benson Sculpture Garden, but I was always rejected because ‘vinyl and air aren’t sculpture.’ Knowing it truly IS sculpture is a breath of fresh air,” exclaimed Avel.
Reaching New Heights (Of Inflation)
Many have welcomed the idea of a fifth sculpture park in Loveland for some time now. “For some reason, I always expected another bronze or stone sculpture park – or even wood. I had never thought about using air and vinyl for a sculpture medium, but it makes sense,” said Loveland resident, Zephyr Cielo. “We all breathe it, and it’s so cheap!”
Others feel a bit more deflated by the theme of the new park. “As a lifelong sculptor of bronze and stone, I feel this is making a mockery of our craft,” said local artist Salvador Von Chiselstein. “I have to create my works using clay, then molds have to be created, then metals heated and poured. What does it take to create these sculptures? Just a bunch of air.”
Windy Days & Big Problems
The decision to create the world’s first inflatable sculpture park hasn’t come without challenges. Once the wind kicks up, these sculptures become very… active. During a test inflation of a 20-foot-long balloon animal dog, a gust of wind picked up the sculpture like a toy and sent it soaring over 150 feet into the sky above the city.
“As the dog’s creator, I hadn’t thought about tying a giant leash to it,” said the sculpture’s artist, Itchy the Clown. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to tie a huge balloon dog, let alone a normal-sized one? This tested every bit of skill I developed at the International University of Clowning in Oxford, England,” Itchy added.
Safety measures are now in place, including tethering sculptures with industrial-grade ropes and enlisting a dedicated “Puncture Patrol” armed with BB guns and hand-thrown darts to address any sudden escape attempts.
Geese vs. Inflatable Art: The Battle of the Century
Additionally, the city’s Canadian geese seem to have developed an intense rivalry with the inflatables. The first sculptures placed were riddled with holes after the birds assumed the giant rubber duck sculpture was vying for dominance in the park, also assuming the other sculptures were a part of it’s flock. “They’re like the mafia of the bird world,” said one park worker, visibly shaken.
The Loveland Arts Development Council has been working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to find a peaceful solution to keep the geese at bay. “Right now, we are looking at a number of options, from rehoming the geese to producing a 30-foot-tall puncture-proof Canadian goose inflatable to allow the geese to blow off steam,” said Patty Airington.
For the time being, the city has enlisted the help of Wavy Davy, an inflatable tube man, to fend off the geese during the day. Wavy Davy, formerly known as “The Wiggling Sentinel,” stands tall, flailing with such erratic energy that it has become an effective deterrent. “We’ve learned that the geese simply can’t resist trying to out-flap him,” said Airington. “Wavy provides a perfect distraction for the birds while guests enjoy the sculptures.”
Inflatable Art: A New Tourism Boom?
Despite the challenges, it seems the park will be a great addition to Loveland’s tourism scene. “So many people come to Loveland for our creativity, and if this doesn’t scream ‘creativity,’ I don’t know what does!” said Visit Loveland Marketing Manager, Charles Lammers. “Our sculpture parks are a huge draw, and a groundbreaking idea like this could have an impact similar to what the Sundance Film Festival will bring to the Boulder area.”
The park is expected to add an additional $743 to Loveland’s estimated $12 million value in existing public art. Annual maintenance costs for the park are estimated to be in the tens of dollars. The Air Apparent Sculpture Park is scheduled to open on June 31, 2025. Admission will be free, but guests are encouraged to bring donations of air compressors for the ongoing maintenance of the park.
Is this the next-big-thing for Loveland, or are we just full of hot air? For more information on the park, watch the video below.
