Farewell Boomer - Outdoor Sculpture is Removed 02/16/04

Have you noticed a little something missing in New Hope this week – a friendly face gone from the horizon – a semi official town greeter no longer at his post? It is sad but true, Dana Stewart’s 20 foot bronze sculpture “Boomer” has been removed.

When the piece was being moved folks were stopping and expressing their regret and telling their own Boomer stories, several came back with cameras to photograph and one neighbor brought their child out to bid farewell to the friendly beastie that they had come to love. It was always the intention that the sculptures would change annually- unfortunately in the case of Boomer he had to leave a little early.

It seems Boomer was in the way to the long awaited lock restoration project that began last week. And while it was very sad to see him go it was for a good cause.

“We had such a great response to Boomer and the location was perfect. It is the gateway to New Hope and I think we will all miss him. It would be our dream to be able to return Boomer to that spot when the restoration project is done,” explained New Hope Arts project director Robin Larsen.

The Public Arts Committee and Board of New Hope Arts Inc have been brainstorming and exploring ways to purchase the piece for the town. A real favorite in the First Annual Outdoor Sculpture Show, Boomer seemed born to be in New Hope. The group hopes to find an angel or angels who agree that Boomer should be permanently perched at the entry way to New Hope.

Last spring New Hope was transformed into a beautiful open-air museum when 7 large-scale outdoor sculptures were installed throughout the town. Boomer was one of them. In April new works will be selected to remain on exhibit until spring of 2005. This exhibition is sponsored by New Hope Arts, Inc. and is partially funded by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Partners for the Arts, Borough of New Hope, New Hope Chamber of Commerce, The Elliott Building Group, Ltd., George E.Michael, Inc., Grover Stults, CPA, Triumph Restaurant & Brewery and generous individuals throughout the community.

New Hope Arts, Inc. is sponsoring both an Indoor and Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition in April and applications for both shows are available at New Hope Borough Hall, Golden Door Gallery, Riverbank Arts in Stockton, New Jersey and Riverrun Gallery in Lambertville, New Jersey. Applications can also be downloaded at www.NewHopeArtsInc.org. To request an application by mail call 215-862-3396 or NewHopeArts@aol.com. Deadline for theOutdoor Exhibition must be postmarked by February 20, 2004. Deadline for the Indoor Exhibition is February 28, 2004.

New Hope Arts Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and support for the arts and culture of the region by sponsoring events that focus on New Hope’s rich cultural heritage and showcase the exciting and diverse community of artists that live and work in New Hope today.