After nearly a century of anonymity, the City of Denver will officially credit Colorado bronze artist Alexander Phimister Proctor for the creation of two major sculptures in Denver’s Civic Center Park.
The pair of works depicting quintessential Old West images -- a cowboy, a Native American rodeo rider and bucking broncos -- have maintained their place in the Park since the early 1920s.
But, unlike artwork displayed in museums, up until this week, these monuments, entitled “Broncho Buster” (an idiosyncratic, early 20th century spelling of "bronco") and “On the War Trail,” didn’t have any sort of identification acknowledging Proctor as the artist who created them.
The Alexander Phimister Proctor Foundation, a museum outside Seattle devoted to preserving the sculptor’s legacy, and Denver Arts & Venues, a city agency responsible for public venues and cultural events, will unveil bronze plaques at an official ceremony recognizing the provenance of the sculptures.
