Brooksville horse on the lamb

A horse made out of recycled materials didn't gallop away from City Hall.

Instead, the disappearance of the art piece is due to it being sold while the artist creates a new horse for display.

James Oleson, an area artist who created the horse sculpture called "Equine" that stood in front of City Hall since October, said the piece was sold to an art gallery in Jacksonville and was recently removed from its perch.

The horse statue was about life-size and is made out of recycled materials. Although it was originally reported to be a donation to the city, Oleson and city officials agreed that was never the case.

Oleson said he has collected more materials and is welding them together to make another piece to display in front of City Hall. He expects the horse to be finished by early March.

"The horse was originally supposed to be taken down earlier, but people loved it so much that they let it stay up there longer," Oleson said. "With this being my hometown, it's nice to have my artwork being put up and appreciated."

Oleson, who teaches art welding and other similar classes in St. Petersburg and Gulfport, said he's pleased that he's increasingly been able to show his work at larger art showings and that he still would like to create artworks to display around Brooksville.

That would suit Jeanne Griffin Moore, assistant to the city manager, and other city officials just fine. Moore said the art gallery at City Hall is always rotating artworks and is seeking more area artists to submit works.

Moore, who is an avid fan of recycling, said Oleson's work is much appreciated for its use of various metal objects that could have otherwise been thrown away. The horse is also an added attraction that draws visiting and local residents to Brooksville.

"We'd like to always have (a horse sculpture) on display at City Hall," Moore said. "It's something that really sparks an interest in downtown Brooksville and gives people a reason to stop by."

Like Oleson's work, various artists have their works on display inside City Hall. Through a partnership with the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, artists can show their work for free as well as sell them. The city isn't involved in purchasing artwork, which is handled strictly between a purchaser and the artist, according to an application to portray art at City Hall.

Meanwhile, Moore said she would like to see more art displayed throughout the city, essentially creating a corridor to help attract more people to the downtown area.

"It all goes hand-in-hand in gaining interest for both artists and for people who might want to come down and see what's being displayed in Brooksville," Moore said. "And we want to be able to keep moving new stuff in, so that it always stays fresh.

For more information about displaying art, go to www.ci.brooksville.fl.us and click on "Art Gallery at City Hall," found in the left-hand column.