SHARING

In 2000, the Governor Wentworth Arts Council, wanting to provide a more lasting artistic element that residents and visitors could enjoy for years to come, commissioned a statue. ‘Sharing,’ the bronze sculpture of a grandfather seated on a park bench enjoying an ice cream moment with his grandson , represents generations returning to summer in Wolfeboro, the oldest summer resort in America. The work was created by Derek Wernher of Metamora, Michigan, and funded by generous donations from the Wolfeboro community.

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A member of the Governor Wentworth Arts Council had conceived the idea for a piece of sculpture after seeing a wide range of artwork on display in European cities and towns during a vacation abroad.

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Although the arts council had advertised in several arts journals for an artist willing to create the piece, Wernher heard of the project while visiting friends in Wolfeboro. He agreed to accept the rather modest commission being offered and signed an agreement that he would not reproduce the statue in any of the New England states. ‘Sharing’ was only the second seated bronze he had ever created.

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Once the plans were in place, fundraising began in earnest. Donations from across the Lakes Region ranged from $5 to $5,000. The sculpture was presented to the town in 2003 and moved to its permanent home in Cate Park, the site of GWAC’s annual PAINT Wolfeboro along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. This is now maintained by the Town of Wolfeboro.