Over the last several decades, Loveland has become widely recognized as the bronze sculpture capital of the world, drawing artists from across the country and around the globe to have their work cast, finished and installed in the Sweetheart City.
That reputation did not happen by chance. It took shape in the 1970s and 1980s, driven by artists who believed deeply in collaboration, craftsmanship and public access to art. One of those artists was George Lundeen, who has spent nearly five decades working in Loveland and has been part of many of the moments that helped shape the city’s sculpture culture.
How Loveland became a destination for makers
The craft behind bronze sculpture has long been central to both Lundeen’s practice and Loveland’s identity. The city is home to multiple internationally recognized bronze foundries and a sculpture finishing house, where artists work through a months-long, highly skilled process to transform raw metal into finished works.
Sculptors come from all over the world to use these foundries. Many travel to Loveland specifically to oversee the casting of their pieces, drawn by the quality of craftsmanship and the collaborative culture that surrounds the process. Over time, some artists choose to stay, valuing the ability to work closely with foundry teams and be part of a community that understands this craft at a deep level.
For visitors, that means experiencing world-class work created right here, often just steps from where it is displayed.
Rooted in tradition, shaped by community
To Lundeen, bronze is more than a material. It is a living link to a tradition that stretches back thousands of years and still thrives in Loveland today. Bronze casting is a process humans have practiced for more than 5,000 years, with ancient cultures in Africa engineering and casting bronze more than a thousand years ago. That long history gives the work a sense of continuity that artists can still feel when they step into a foundry here.
Participating in a process that has endured for so long creates a connection to something larger, Lundeen said. It also fosters a deep respect for the labor, sacrifice and ingenuity that went into creating art in earlier cultures, and a greater appreciation for the hands and skills involved in bringing each piece to life.
As more sculptors came to Loveland to work with the foundries, those shared experiences naturally brought people together. Artists exchanged ideas, worked side by side and built relationships that extended beyond individual projects. Over time, those conversations began to shape not just the work itself, but the role sculpture would play in the life and identity of the city.
A sculptor’s perspective
As for Lundeen, he’s been part of the Loveland sculpture scene since its beginning and was a key member in its development. After studying sculpture in Florence, Italy, in the 1970s, Lundeen returned home to Nebraska to teach art at Hastings College. While the college was conducting small-scale bronze casting, Lundeen learned about a Loveland couple, Bob and Mary Zimmerman, who operated a foundry and created world-class sculptures right here in Loveland. The draw of the foundry was enough for Lundeen to relocate to Loveland, where he, his wife Cammie and his brothers Mark and Nelse founded Lundeen Sculpture, which remains a family-run operation today.
Lundeen’s creative process has developed over the years. Each sculpture comes from an idea, and ideas come from everywhere. For the last few decades, many of those ideas have come from clients, as Lundeen’s studios are commissioned to create prominent sculptures displayed across the country, including at Scheel’s locations nationwide, Coors Field in Denver, Statuary Hall at our nation’s capital, Nike headquarters in Oregon, and many more public locations. Lundeen’s latest project is a set of sculptures commemorating two Colorado Rockies Hall of Famers, Todd Helton and Larry Walker. While Lundeen’s reputation has created a steady stream of commissions, the beginnings were much more grassroots.
From shared vision to public landmarks
In the 1970s, Lundeen attended a sculpture symposium in Nebraska and was moved by seeing so many artists and makers collaborating and learning from one another in one place. This inspiration led directly to the creation of Sculpture in the Park. Working alongside sculptors Mark Lundeen, Dan Ostermiller, George Wallbye, Fritz White and Hollis Willford, the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Loveland, Lundeen helped establish an outdoor sculpture exhibition designed to invite the public in and support the creation of a permanent sculpture garden.
The first show brought roughly 50 sculptors to Benson Park, which at the time was largely undeveloped beyond its pond and open space. Sales from that inaugural event funded the installation of the first two sculptures, marking the beginning of Benson Sculpture Garden, located at 1125 W. 29th St.
Over time, Sculpture in the Park grew into the largest outdoor juried sculpture exhibition in the country. The garden now adds four to five new sculptures each year, often acquiring works at cost and requiring no city funding beyond routine upkeep of the landscaping.
As the garden gained national attention, Loveland’s reputation grew alongside it. Sculptors who initially came to use the foundries discovered a city that celebrated sculpture publicly and permanently, reinforcing Loveland’s role as a global center for bronze sculpture.
Public art as part of everyday life
Today, more than $12.5 million has been invested in public art across Loveland, representing far more than a single collection or location. That investment includes large-scale pieces installed throughout the city, sculpture parks like Benson Sculpture Garden, international collections such as Chapungu Sculpture Park, commissioned works in civic spaces, interactive installations like the love lock sculptures and a growing collection of murals and community-created art.
Much of this work was cast locally, reinforcing the connection between Loveland’s foundries and its public spaces. Unlike many world-class art destinations, Loveland’s public art is free to experience. Visitors encounter museum-quality work while walking trails, exploring downtown or spending time in neighborhood parks.
A legacy built through connection
Loveland’s identity as a sculpture city is the result of decades of collaboration between foundries, artists and a community willing to invest in public art. Foundries attracted sculptors from around the world and public sculpture gardens created visibility. That visibility encouraged even more artists to come to Loveland to cast their work and become part of its creative fabric.
Even when Lundeen travels abroad and tells people he is from Loveland, the city is often recognized for its sculpture culture. That reputation has connected him with artists from around the world who continue to come here to work with the foundries and exchange ideas.
For visitors today, that legacy comes to life in a city where art is part of everyday experience, shaped by artists like Lundeen and many others who believed creativity should be shared openly, generously and beyond museum walls.