Posted on Apr 30, 2015 in
FEATURES
The Stephen F. Austin monument at Sugar Land Town Square depicts Austin emerging from the Brazos River on horseback. Photo by Joey Belleza.
By Joan Frances –
The history of Fort Bend County is crucial to understanding the trials and tribulations of our ancestors. Rich in artifacts and photographs, the City of Sugar Land continues to preserve the legacy of the area. From the Old Three Hundred settlers to the Imperial Sugar refinery and the multicultural influence that continues to be an asset to the growth of the community, the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation (SLHF) strives to keep these collections accessible to the public. This May, the organization debuts an exhibit and features a Chautauqua Talk by renowned sculptor Bob Pack.
Formed in 2003 after the closing of the Imperial Sugar refinery, the SLHF created a community based museum with the purpose to ensure all artifacts, documents and photographs from the Imperial Sugar refinery be preserved. Their mission statement is “to inspire community pride by collecting, preserving, communicating and celebrating the history of Sugar Land, Texas.” Over the past few years, the SLHF has made enormous strides in the renovation and preservation of the sugar refinery with a 12,000 square feet permanent museum site set to open in 2017. In the interim, a smaller museum with space on the sugar refinery site for temporary headquarters will house an exhibit gallery opening in late May and will run through the summer featuring Sugar Land’s resident sculptor Bob Pack.
Bob Pack with his sculpture of Stephen F. Austin, which now stands in Sugar Land Town Square.
Pack will give the next Chautauqua Talk on Tuesday, May 19th at 7 pm at the Sugar Land Auditorium, located at 226 Lakeview Drive in Sugar Land. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the event is free to the public. Pack is best known for his breathtaking major installations including the sculpture of Stephen F. Austin, The Father of Texas, emerging from the waters near the Brazos River on his horse. Located in Sugar Land Town Square, this bronze work of art stands 18 feet by 24 feet, depicting this powerful Texas leader. Pack’s “Christ the Good Shepard” collector size statue was presented to Pope John Paul II in Rome, and the life-size bronze is located at Sugar Land Methodist Church. “The Guardian,” located at the police headquarters in Sugar Land, along with the Hilmar Moore statue in Richmond, all convey the true essence of leaders of the human spirit. Pack’s life-size bronze statues of famous legends of golf, such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Bobby Jones, have given him national notoriety, and his collection of birds is realistic and breathtakingly beautiful.
Bob Pack putting the finishing touches on a sculpture.
Pack will share in his passion and commitment during the Chautauqua Talk with a slide show highlighting his creative process from an idea on paper to inception of his masterful creations. After the speech, he will answer questions and visit with the audience.
Pack’s exhibit will open May 23rd at the SLHF Museum, located at 198 Kempner, next to the iconic 1925 Char House. The curators will expand the normal hours during the run of the exhibit to be from 9 am to 4 pm every Saturday from May 23rd to September 5th. The exhibit is free to the public.
Speaking in the fall at the next Chautauqua Talk is Richard Phillips, the Associate Vice President/Vice Chancellor for the University of Houston System at Sugar Land and Cinco Ranch. Phillips will engage the audience in the history of the University of Houston at Sugar Land and its ambitious future.
Visit slheritage.org for more information about the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation and their upcoming Chautauqua Talks.
