Texas sculptor creates original garden statue

An ornamental-concrete competition has recognized a pair of polar bears sitting in a fountain as the best original garden statue introduced in 2000. The "Polar Playground" sculpture was designed by Debby Adams of Jacksonville, Texas. As water trickles down around them, two bears gaze up to humans looking down at them. "The artist has given us an artificial environment," said one judge of the annual competition, "but at the same time, you believe in the little bears inside."

Adams received the "Solid Award for Statuary" and its $500 cash prize for her efforts. The prize is sponsored by Solid Citizen, the trade newspaper of the garden statue industry. The artist received her award in January at the Ornamental Concrete Producers Association's 2001 convention and trade show. Adams began casting her fountain in mid-November and anticipates her fountains to retail between $125 and $200.

Garden statuary is a rapidly growing industry. Solid Citizen estimates that garden statues are a $400 million business in North America. "Statues and fountains add a certain ambiance to a garden," explains Bill Diem, publisher of Solid Citizen. "They stop the eye, which stops the human being for a moment. You inhale the perfumes, the colors, the whole atmosphere. Garden statues are mass-produced, which makes them affordable, but each is designed by an artist who deserves recognition for their work."