A proposed exhibition of sculptures by internationally-renowned sculptor Lea Vivot will now be postponed until next summer, to allow more time for the exhibit to be set up properly.
A proposed exhibition of sculptures by internationally-renowned sculptor Lea Vivot will now be postponed until next summer, to allow more time for the exhibit to be set up properly.
Vivot is the sculptor of the life-size bronze of Tommy Douglas, which she gifted to the City of Weyburn and is now located near the city's boardwalk after it was unveiled a year ago.
She had proposed to bring a selection of life-size and smaller statues to the city, to have on exhibit and for sale, to provide residents with an idea of the wide variety of subjects she has sculpted over the years.
Part of the proceeds from the sale of the sculptures was to go to the Weyburn Hospital Foundation, and some to the Tommy Douglas Centre and the programming hosted there.
Recently the Douglas statue was vandalized, with the result the glasses were ripped off the face of the sculpture; Vivot has said she could carry out the repairs with the statue remaining in place over two visits. The first visit would be to remove any remaining signs of the glasses, then over the winter she was to remake the glasses at her foundry, and then return next spring or summer to reattach them.
Vivot indicated in an e-mail that she is flying over to Europe, so is not sure whether there will be any time this fall to come to Weyburn to do the first stage of the repairs.
Meantime, she has been working on doing a sculpture in honour of the late Jack Layton, and indicated she was interviewed by CBC-TV about this latest work.
Vivot is a native of Prague, Czechoslovakia, and began as a sculptor in 1970, using benches as a trademark in many of her works. She was honoured in 2003 by her home country when she was named the "Most Distinguished Czech Woman in the World".
