The Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the region’s leading resource for informal science education, unveils a new sculpture by award-winning artist Kent Ullberg. The piece, entitled Snowmastodon, will be installed later this month on the west side of the Museum. A public dedication ceremony is planned for Thursday, October 23, at 10 a.m. at the Museum, 2001 Colorado Boulevard.
Snowmastodon is a bronze sculpture commemorating one of the most significant scientific discoveries in Colorado history. In 2010 an exceptionally well-preserved Ice Age site was unearthed near Snowmass Village, revealing the remains of 40 species of animals, including American mastodons. The sculpture was funded by the Dea Family Foundation and commissioned by the Museum to recognize a find so important in Colorado’s natural history.
“Hand digging for mastodon bones unearthed a passion within our family and guests who were at the site,” said Peter Dea, co-founder of the Dea Family Foundation, along with Cathy Dea, and past chair and current member of the Museum’s Board of Trustees.
“This real-life treasure hunt, where every other shovel full of red dirt revealed a mystery of the Ice Age, gripped us and truly epitomized the act of discovery.”
The sculpture, the largest single mammal created by Ullberg, stands more than 19 ft. tall and weighs over 5,000 pounds. Working from actual fossils found near Snowmass Village and consulting with Dr. Daniel Fisher, University of Michigan professor and leading mastodon expert, and Museum paleobotanists Dr. Ian Miller and Dr. Kirk Johnson, Ullberg sculpted a physiologically accurate mastodon.
A native of Sweden, Ullberg is recognized as one of world’s foremost wildlife sculptors. He has also worked at museums around the world, including as a curator at the Botswana National Museum and Gallery, and as an exhibits artist and developer at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He now resides in Corpus Christi, Texas, and maintains a studio in Loveland.
“The Denver Museum of Nature & Science first brought me to the U.S. in 1972, and this project brings me full circle. I will always be grateful for the connection I have with the Museum,” Ullberg said.
The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver. To learn more, visit dmns.org, or call 303- 370-6000.