SCULPTURE IN THE PARKS SPOTLIGHT: Dogs and more by Dale Rogers

With four sculptures in two different parks, Massachusetts sculptor Dale Rogers is the unofficial lead sculpture for Hamilton Parks.

Rogers is famous throughout the country for his "American Dog" series, and we have two of them, one guarding the entrance of Veteran's Park, and one in the Bark Park itself for our canine visitors to enjoy.

"The profile of the dog is very much of a muttigree, but I have had many people tell me it looks exactly like their particular breed of dog," he says in his artist's statement.

He made the first one in 2004 and has been traveling the country with them ever since, usually in conjunction with an event to raise funds for Humane Societies. Hamilton got a first look at Rogers's work in 2012, when he brought his "Big Dogs" exhibit to the Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.

There is a 16-foot tall version of "American Dog" in Massachusetts at Exit 48 off Route 495 that has become a highly visible landmark and icon for all in the region. "My hope is to one day replace it with a 43-foot-tall dog," he says, "thus making it into the record books with the largest dog sculpture around."

Here's a short video of the artist talking about the series:

There are also two Rogers works at RiversEdge Amphitheater, both dedicated in November, 2013.

Rogers's "Guitar" was a gift to the park from Gerry Hammond, one of the founding members of City of Sculpture who happens to be the Vice President of the Hamilton Parks Conservancy, in memory of her late husband, Gerry Hammond, who was one of our city's leading architects. Its home is next to the RiversEdge stage, a perfect spot!

The City of Sculpture also chose RiversEdge for the placement of "4 People."

"4 People" was originally designed and built for San Ramon CA’s Central Park for a 2009 commission to build a sculpture that would depict family, community, and togetherness.

"My design concepts were initially very abstract in nature, but slowly this figurative piece evolved instead," Rogers says.