Leonardo da Vinci's
Horse, Inc. (LDVHI)
- Founded by Charles C. Dent
- Incorporated with non-profit status in 1982
- Seven member Board of Trustees: Martha Hutson-Saxton, Chair; Peter C. Dent,
President; Cynthia Farris, Secretary; Milan J. Kralik, Jr.; Jeffrey Matzkin,
Esq.; Larry Miley, Treasurer; Edith Ritter
Purpose
- To honor the Italian Renaissance and its immense cultural, artistic and
scientific legacy
- To honor Leonardo da Vinci and his extraordinary genius
- To honor the noble horse, man's companion throughout history
- To encourage curiosity, imagination, creativity among youth
- To stand as a symbol of friendship between nations
Master Model
- Eight-foot clay model sculpted by Nina Akamu
- Based on Leonardo da Vinci's drawings
- Input from Council of Scholars and Sculptor's Advisory Committee
- Enlarged to 24 feet in clay by Tallix Art Foundry, Beacon, NY
- Final sculpting by Nina Akamu and team of seven assistants
Final Horse
- Height: 24 feet; weight with armature: 15 tons
- Engineered to withstand wind shear and earthquakes
- Cast at Tallix Art Foundry
- Silicon bronze, Alloy #872
- Armature of stainless steel, Type 304
- Flown to Italy courtesy of Alitalia
- Mounted on a pedestal of Carrara marble
- Installation: Milan, Italy at the cultural park in the San Siro Hippodrome
- Unveiled: September 10, 1999
- A gift to the Italian people from the American people
American Horse
- Second casting of the 24-foot model
- Unveiled October 7, 1999
- Located at the Frederik Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, Michigan which is
Michigan's leading Botanical and Sculpture Garden
- Displayed at ground level which allows easy visitor interaction
- Accompanied by a Renaissance Education Center which houses an eight-foot
version of the horse
Vinci Horse
- Eight-foot bronze casting
- Unveiled September 15, 2001
- Dedicated November 17, 2001
- Made possible by gifts from Frederik & Lena Meijer, the family of Ambassador
Peter F. and Joan Secchia, LDVHI, Tallix Art Foundry and the Comune of Vinci
- Project Coordinator was Dr. Giorgio Morelli
- Flown to Italy courtesy of Alitalia
- Inspiration for sister city relationship between Allentown, PA (birthplace
of Charles C. Dent) and Vinci, Italy (birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci)
- Plaza in Vinci named after Charles C. Dent as a tribute to his memory
Education Outreach
- Lessons plans created by teachers are posted on LDVHI web site
- Lesson plans developed and distributed through Crayola's -Dream-Makers-
program reached 2.4 million students
- In collaboration with Pennsylvania Art Education Association, lesson plans
distributed to over one thousand Pennsylvania art teachers
- Eight-foot fiberglass horse, fiberglass hoof of twenty-four foot horse,
and explanatory display panels traveled to schools and events in 2000 and
2001 inspiring thousands of students and individuals
- Public and school performances by Leonardo da Vinci, historically portrayed
by George Miller, Artistic Director of The Theatre Outlet
- Art Contest held in Allentown, PA and Vinci, Italy for school students.
First place winner of Allentown competition won a week-long trip to Vinci
as part of an annual student exchange between Allentown and Vinci
- Resources section on LDVHI website includes suggested reading and links
to other Leonardo da Vinci related web sites
