Newest piece of public art is a 10-foot, 1,800-pound bronze grizzly

COEUR d’ALENE — Grizzly bears, said Dan Pinkerton, symbolize the persecuted.

“In these times when we mourn George Floyd’s persecution, the grizzly bear is a symbol of strength for us all to be encouraged by,” he said.

“Grizzly bears also symbolize courage for us to stand up against our fears,” he continued.

And finally, he said grizzlies symbolize protection.

“The grizzly serves as an inspiration for us to protect our homes, our businesses, our families, from looters, rioters,” Pinkerton said.

So with pride, on Wednesday, a black cape was pulled away to reveal a 10-foot, 1,800-pound bronze grizzly bear as the latest piece of Coeur d’Alene’s public art.

Its name: “Unconquered.”

“It is our hope this sculpture will be a symbol of unity to our community, to all its strength and courage and protection as well as healing,” he said to about 100 people at the 20-minute ceremony next to the Riverstone pond.

Greg Chapleski, a watercolorist, was impressed.

“I love it,” he said as he got a closer look at the imposing figure.

Jennifer Drake, chair of the Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission, thanked the Pinkertons for their vision and generosity.

She said she got goosebumps just looking at the towering bronze bear as it displayed its large teeth and claws.

The grizzly, she said, was “in the best possible spot. Look at the surrounding. This is exactly where he should be. It’s an incredible addition.”

Dan and Kathryn Pinkerton, of Pinkerton Retirement Specialists, LLC and founders of the Idaho Wildlife Museum, said the $250,000 art piece is a permanent loan from the Idaho Wildlife Museum to the Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission.

The sculpture was one of the final pieces created by the world-famous artist, Lorenzo E. Ghiglieri.

The art piece will stand in perpetuity on a new landscape in Riverstone, overlooking the pond adjacent to the Idaho Wildlife Museum.

The former art piece in that spot, Marker 11, “was wrought with controversy as it drew upon the symbolism of a communist regime to make a statement of the coal industry. After heated debate and even death threats upon the Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission, Marker 11 was removed,” in November, a press release said.

“Thankfully, our Mayor Steve Widmyer had the courage to lead in difficult times and try to resolve this public outcry peacefully,” Pinkerton said.

Dan Pinkerton said he and his wife wanted to help the community move forward from the dispute while honoring wildlife that is such an important part of Idaho.

At one point, he said there were an estimated 50,000 grizzly bears that roamed between the Pacific Ocean and the Great Plains.

“However, when pioneers moved in, grizzlies were persecuted and their numbers and range drastically declined, by 97 percent,” he said.

He said that today, there are only about 1,200 to 1,400 grizzly bears in the lower 48 states. They are federally protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Art.

The Idaho Statesman recently reported that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maps from 2018 show grizzly bears are known to be in eastern Idaho near the border of Wyoming, where they sometimes roam from Yellowstone National Park. The bears are also known to be in far North Idaho near the Canadian border.

Pastor Tim Remington offered a short prayer.

“Lord, I just ask right now that this would be a symbol, a huge symbol of the courage that is really in Coeur d’Alene. I’ve never even been in a city that is like this city, where the people actually get along, and we love one another and we protect our own people and the store fronts.”

Drake praised the city’s public art collection as “world class.”

“It’s something we can all enjoy, all ages, all walks of life, all incomes,” she said. “All people of Coeur d’Alene have this ownership over our public art collection.”

Drake said that the donation took such a negative situation and turned it into something so positive “speaks to the value of public art in our lives.

“But also that we as individuals and as a community will always remain unconquered,” she said.