Town of Sundre officials are looking into the potential of buying the Bergen Rocks sculpture collection created by artists from around the world.
Linda Wallace, the town's economic development officer said the collection is ìreally quite something to see.î She said the artists involved are well recognized through the art community internationally.
ìThere is a world of people out there who would like to see those pieces and if they are properly presented and promoted, it's a whole market we currently don't reach in any other way here in Sundre,î said Wallace.
The Bergen Rocks collection, owned by Bergen citizen Morton Burke, includes 19 stone sculptures that are worth anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 a piece.
Burke said beginning in 2008 he has held an annual Bergen Rocks symposium where the public is invited to watch five artists create stone sculptures over the period of a month. He said 16 different artists have come to Bergen from all over the world to create the 19-piece collection.
He is now contacting municipalities to sell the collection off.
ìIt's a great way to acquire public art and not only the fact that public art is created but people have the opportunity to witness the creation of these sculptures, which will remain in our society for up to 2,000 years, maybe more,î said Burke, adding that this is what makes the sculptures unique.
ìSundre is really my hometown. I'd like to see the sculpture park end up there for the good that it can do for the community,î he said, adding that it would provide a ìcultural elementî to the town, he said.
Sundre councillors heard his proposal during the Dec. 17 regular council meeting.
They passed a motion directing town administration to explore the feasibility of purchasing the Bergen Rocks collection to bring into Sundre and develop as a tourist attraction.
Wallace said she intends to contact Alberta Arts and Culture, Travel Alberta and Tourism, Parks and Recreation for representatives to look at the sculptures and inform the town of the value and potential of them.
Burke said there are a few other surrounding communities that are interested in purchasing the collection as well.
ìIf they're in a community, many more people will have an opportunity to see them and enjoy them than if they are out at my home in Bergen,î said Burke.
ìI'm sure that people will go there to have picnics and they will go there to have wedding photographs and they will take their families and their visitors there when they have people come from out of town,î he added.
Wallace said if the collection is moved to Sundre, then it would be a ìsurpriseî to outsiders of the community, since it is something that people don't expect to see in a small town.
The location where the collection would be in Sundre is unknown at this stage.
ìWe've got this fabulous back country where you can do almost anything you want to do out there, which is a huge asset for our community, but we need more things to keep people in town,î said Wallace.
ìWe want to be able to offer enough so that there is reason to stay in town and spend some tourism dollars.î
