Page 6 - Hobart Institute of Welding - Fall 2020 World of Welding
P. 6

Dignity of Earth and Sky
            By: Melinda Gladish

            When artist and sculptor Dale Lamphere attended the University   Dignity began in 2015 first with a detailed drawing and then as a
            of Wyoming 58 years ago, the Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture   24 inch clay model painstakingly sculpted with precise detail.  From
            was not even a glimmer in his eye.  Dale, like many students, was   there, she became a 5 foot model made with over 50 individual
            just beginning to explore what could be accomplished in his career.    pieces.  Once that was complete, the work began to draft and adjust
            Dale and his classmates from University of Wyoming had what   each of those pieces to final scale.  Dignity is made of stainless
            I believe is the coolest internship I have ever heard of.  They did   steel and welded using the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding process.  She
            a semester at sea called The University of the Seven Seas – an   was built outdoors by Lamphere and three other artists/craftsman.
            eighteen country world tour to study art through the eyes of other   They used an English wheel to create the curves and lines of her
            artists from different cultures and with different values. He said   face and hands. Her star quilt is made of 128 diamonds that are in
            seeing art from the viewpoints of those in other parts of the world   the colors of the water and sky that surround her.  Once the 50’ x 32’
            gave him a glimpse of the expressive edge of art that endures and   x 16’ sculpture was complete, it was moved 200 miles over 2 days
            transcends boundaries.  Dale says art tells us about a society and   overcoming multiple obstacles, such as raising power lines, to arrive
            what is important to them.  As a native of South Dakota growing up   at her permanent home.  The completed sculpture was dedicated in
            on a ranch, Dale didn’t have exposure to international art until that   September 2016, stands 50 feet tall, weighs 2 tons and consists of
            trip.                                              hundreds of pieces of stainless steel and miles of welds.  Dignity
            The vision of Dignity of Earth and Sky came about when a local   stands on a bluff in Southeastern South Dakota overlooking the
            philanthropist contacted Dale with the idea of a project highlighting   Missouri River.  She pays honor to the Native Nations of the Great
            the importance of women in the Native American culture.  Native   Plains which consists of 9 reservations in South Dakota and makes
            American women are considered the backbone of society in that   up 20% of the state’s total population.
            region.  Being from the area, and growing up near the Plains Tribes   When I asked Lamphere if there was anything else he would like to
            in South Dakota, Dale developed the vision that became Dignity.    say about the Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture, he stated “It was a
            The Native American woman depicted in the sculpture is actually a   thrill to work on something of that scale and then have it be so well
            combination of three women ages 15, 30 and 55.  Dale didn’t want   received; it was amazing.  As an artist, it is necessary to take risks
            one particular woman depicted, but rather a combination of the   and you hope they will be well received.  However, those risks are
            characteristics of all three.                      how we make progress as artists”.











































            2020 FALL ISSUE  - 6 - www.welding.org
                                                                                               Return to Table of Contents
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11