Honouring an Artist: The Legacy of Peter Sawatzky

Peter Sawatzky of Glenboro is known internationally for his lifelike bronze sculptures. While widely acclaimed for his keen depictions of wildlife, he has also sculpted numerous human subjects. His attention to detail and the ability to articulate expressions, whether it be a wolf on the hunt or the seven men on a York Boat, earned him the Order of Manitoba in 2008.

Recently, Sawatzky was celebrated with a sign hanging above the “Welcome to Glenboro” sign, proudly boasting that “Glenboro is home to Peter Sawatzky, International Artist!”

The notoriety doesn’t end there; in 2018 Brandon Riverbank Inc. approached Peter with the idea of featuring his renowned bronze sculptures at the city’s Discovery Centre. The garden’s meandering walking paths would exclusively showcase Sawatzky’s bronzes depicting wildlife native to Manitoba. “It is huge (the complexity of it)! I was really honoured when they approached me and answered with a resounding yes,” exclaimed Peter.

The project is huge! And it comes with an enormous price tag, the projected cost of a few million dollars will be generated through sponsors, generous donations, local fundraisers and government funding. The park will have three main entry feature areas; Caribou Gateway Plaza; the Grassland Bison and the Woodland Moose entry node.

Over the past six years, Peter has collaborated closely with the landscape architectural team, carefully selecting all the sculptures to be featured. He has traveled extensively to foundries in Billings, Montana, and Pense, Saskatchewan. The foundry in Montana is casting the Caribou sculptures, while the Bison sculptures are being cast in Pense. Peter once owned his own foundry, but after two fires, he sought alternatives. “I toured the Midwest USA and chose Billings. I immediately felt at home and have been working there for 19 years. They have become 19 years. They have become family to me,” he said.

Presently the city has most of the walking trails completed and it is hoped to have the official opening this fall once Peter’s signature piece of the Caribou is installed. The sculpture depicting a heard of caribou crossing a shallow river bed will be facing north towards Conservation Drive at the main gateway to the park from the Discovery Centre parking area. It will be on an inclined plinth echoing caribou rising out of the river onto the river bank and will be showcased with boulders, low colorful plants and hardy evergreens mimicking their native environment.

During a recent interview, Peter remarked that the Caribou sculpture holds a special place in his heart for several reasons. Firstly, it is the largest sculpture he has created at 8’h x 34’l x 7’w; and caribou are his favourite mammal. “One day, I was flying over the Seal River in the North and saw hundreds of caribou crossing the river on their migratory route south. The sight instantly inspired the sculpture I wanted to create.”

The Grassland entry node depicts a huge Bison Herd Bull walking into the wind through the tall prairie grass with a few of his cows and a brand new calf following. This sculpture forms the northwest gateway to park and looks directly towards the intersection of Kirkcaldy Drive and 18th Street beckoning the attention of traffic travelling along these routes as it is perched atop the corner of the primary dike. The bison will be surrounded by short grass, prairie plants and backed by a bluff of prairie poplar.

The third entry mode is the Woodland Moose at the southeast gateway to the sculpture park for visitors entering through the park trails. The Bull is standing perfectly still gazing east toward the existing tall grass prairie preserve. Behind him stands a dense thicket of willow, maple, poplar, dogwood and wetland plants. “I have seen many moose as I travelled to many wilderness areas across the country. With this sculpture I am trying to convey a bull moose quietly walking a shoreline when suddenly something startled him and he makes an abrupt turn into the thick forest,” Peter described.

Peter’s work is not new to Brandon; the city and Brandon Riverbank Inc. have always been very supportive and appreciative of his prolific talent. Peter’s bronze “a Doe and her two fawns” have been standing near the Discovery Centre’s amphitheatre since the late 1990’s.

The passion Peter has for his craft is evident in his voice as he describes the wildlife scenes he studied then turned into magnificent replicas cast in bronze. Just as capturing as the works he has so passionately sculpted is the description and stories of his shares of his travels to Canada’s baron north to wildlife expeditions in Africa.

When asked if his craft has ever become a “job” his answer was quick, concise, emphatic and from the heart, “I’ve never lost the passion it has never felt like a job!”

PHOTO CAPTION: Peter Sawatzky was celebrated with a sign above the “Welcome to Glenboro” sign, proudly boasting that Glenboro is the “Home of Peter Sawatzky, Internationally Renowned Sculptor”. PHOTO BY SUZANNE PADDOCK