In a town where most people prefer the company of their dogs more than that of their neighbors, the latest donation to Durango’s public art collection is a fitting piece.
Mancos artist Patsy Davis began work on “Semper Fi” shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City. On Thursday morning, the well-traveled bronze sculpture was installed at its permanent home in front of the Durango Police Department on East Second Avenue.
“I was listening to a piece on NPR shortly after 9/11 about how we employ animals, and I was impressed by how many dogs were at the towers,” Davis said of her inspiration. “I immediately wanted to do a tribute sculpture – not a sad thing, not a political piece; a tribute.
“I’ve been making sculpture for my whole life, and I’ve never made a piece that moved so many people,” she said.
For a model, Davis used Luke, a German shepherd owned by her friend and fellow artist Veryl Goodnight. In “Semper Fi,” the dog is captured in the moment of a find, discovering what Davis intended to be a live victim among the steel girders. She finished the piece in 2005, and it was part of a 10-museum touring exhibit called “Paws & Reflect: The Art of Canines.”
That’s when it caught the eye of the Tails of Hope foundation, a New Jersey-based group that provides medical care for service and companion dogs.
In 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, Davis loaned “Semper Fi” to the organization. It temporarily was installed in Liberty State Park across the Hudson River from the former site of the Twin Towers where the new One World Trade Center building now stands.
Fundraising is underway for Davis to make a second casting and have the sculpture permanently installed in the park. Hundreds of firefighters from nearby Jersey City responded Sept. 11 and the ensuing days in 2001.
The permanent site of the sculpture seems custom-made for “Semper Fi” – there’s even a fire hydrant right next to it – but it’s just coincidence that it fits so perfectly. City operations crews cleared a bush or two outside Chief Jim Spratlen’s window to make room for the sculpture, and Spratlen is happy about his new view. (The DPD has its own crime-fighting German shepherd, Uto.)
“I think it’s outstanding, and we’re indebted to Patsy for this,” Spratlen said. “It shows the duty and integrity of law enforcement; the determination of those animals is the same as the men and women in the police and fire departments.”
ted@durangoherald.com