The Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival returns for its second run as it looks to honor the legacy of its titular artist.
The festival honors the legacy of Harry Whitehorse, a Ho-Chunk Indigenous artist who died in 2017. It was founded by Whitehorse’s wife, Deb, and his mentee Gene Delcourt as the two wanted to keep his name alive. The festival invites artists from around the world for a week to craft wood sculptures that will later be donated all over Monona.
“It does bring a lot of attention to Harry’s work. I was always nervous because you just weren’t hearing his name anymore,” Delcourt said. “I want his art to live on, because he was one of my big inspirations.”…