Series of sculptures by Peter Wolf Toth From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Trail of the Whispering Giants is a collection of sculptures by American artist Peter Wolf Toth.[1][2] The sculptures range in height from 20 to 40 feet (6.1 to 12.2m), and are between 8 and 10 feet (2.4 and 3.0m) in diameter.[3] In 2009, there were 74 Whispering Giants,[2] with at least one in each of the 50 U.S. states, as well as in Ontario and Manitoba, Canada,[3] and one in Hungary.[4] One in Oregon was removed in 2017 after irreparable windstorm damage,[5] reducing the total to 73. In 1988, Toth completed his goal of placing at least one statue in each of the 50 states, by carving one in Hawaii, and in 2008, he created his first Whispering Giant in Europe, Stephen I of Hungary in Délegyháza,[6] Hungary along the Danube River.[4]
In 2009, eight more Whispering Giants were planned.[2]
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The sculptures
Summarize
Perspective
The 74 Whispering Giants range from 15 to 40 feet (4.6 to 12.2m) in height,[3] and all resemble natives of the region in which they are located. Toth always donates the Whispering Giant he creates to the town he carved it in, and never charges a fee for his time. He does require that the raw materials (a large log between 8 and 10 feet (2.4 and 3.0m) in diameter) be provided, as well as lodging and living expenses.[3] The carvings have been appraised at a quarter of a million dollars each.[3]
Toth uses a hammer and a chisel as the basic tools to create the Whispering Giants, but on occasion will use a mallet and an axe, or rarely power tools.[7] Before starting work on a Whispering Giant, Toth confers with local Native American tribes and local lawmakers.[7] The sculpture that is created is a composite of all the physical characteristics, especially facial features, of the local tribe or tribes, as well as their stories and histories.[7] Toth dismisses the notion that the Whispering Giant sculptures are totem poles or represent Native American art, and has further stated that it would be inappropriate to carve totems because they were traditionally carved by Northwestern Indian tribes and had religious significance, where his carvings are intended as sculptures of Native American people.[8]
"I don't know a thing about carving totem poles, never made one nor expect to. My monument depicts an Indian, not copies of Indian art."[1]
—Peter Wolf Toth, 1974
Currently Peter Toth resides in Edgewater, Florida, where he has a small studio where he carves small wooden statues to raise money to create more Whispering Giants.[4] He travels around America to repair Whispering Giants he carved in the past that have not been kept up, as well as to carve new ones.[4] The latest Whispering Giant carved was in Vincennes, Indiana, in 2009 out of Black Oak, but there are still eight more statues planned to be built.[2]
The carving took three months to complete and originally resided in front of the Best Western hotel (previously the Holiday Inn) until Hurricane Charley in 2004 damaged the building. The only whispering giant to feature two faces, it features a Native American man and woman on either side of it, along with the dream of a dying bison upon its back next to an eagle with a broken wing emerging from atop the head, intended to symbolize the prejudice and injustice Native people have experienced.[28]
Restored by Toth in summer 2005, it was rededicated on 20 January 2006 with a time capsule buried within its base.[29][28]
In 1979, the statue was moved from Greenfield Park to a walking trail near the "Lion's Bridge". In 1986, it was moved again to Buckhead, NC.[44] Replaced by Statue #71.
Relocated to a private ranch on the northern side of US Route 34 (west of Loveland, CO) from its original location on the southern shore of Lake Loveland.[73]
The statue has undergone severe internal rot, but was LiDAR scanned on 23 August 2019 under guidance of a committee comprising the City of Burlington Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront; faculty members of the University of Vermont; a local non-profit "Branch Out Burlington"; and members of the Abenaki community.[103][104]
Lost to rot, but the sculpture was 3D scanned in hopes of creating a synthetic replica. After receiving city approval, the 3D replica was constructed and the replica was installed at the same location in October 2024.
The sculpture was removed in Fall 2018 due to its deteriorating condition and safety concerns, The face of the sculpture (roughly 14ft high) was saved, is in storage, and is looking for an indoor home to preserve it for future viewing. If you have an idea contact the Akron Public Schools.
In 1992, termites and high winds destroyed Statue #22. A replacement statue was carved out of white oak by Dennis D. Beach and lasted until 2000. Statue #69 carved by Peter Wolf Toth in 2002 replaces Statue #22[142]
While Toth intends for his sculptures to be a tribute to Native Americans that honors the injustices Native Americans have experienced, some critics view the statues as inauthentic and being based on caricatures and stereotypes of Native Americans.[147] The statues are seen by some critics as anachronistic or racist. The columnist Maurice Switzer has condemned the statues as "ridiculous, offensive" and "lame-brained".[148]
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