Elmer Petersen Explained

Elmer Petersen
Birth Date:	4 September 1928
Birth Place:	Racine, Wisconsin, United States
Death Place:	La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
Field:	sculpture
Training:	Leo Steppat, Prof. of Sculpture, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Alma Mater:	Dana College Blair, Nebraska, B.A., University of Wisconsin - Madison, M.S., M.F.A
Works:	World's Largest Buffalo, La Crosse Players, Eagle in La Crosse's Riverside Park (La Crosse)
Elected:	chairman of the Downtown La Crosse Sculpture Project Committee

Elmer Paul Petersen (September 4, 1928  - August 5, 2020) was an American sculptor who worked in metal. His most prominent artwork is the World's Largest Buffalo in Jamestown, North Dakota. Petersen lived and worked in Galesville, Wisconsin. Much of his art is publicly displayed around La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he led the Downtown La Crosse Sculpture Project Committee.^[1] The La Crosse Tribune called Petersen "one of the premier sculptors in the Coulee Region" and "instrumental in getting public sculpture scattered throughout downtown" La Crosse. He has worked significantly with welding, including that of found metal objects, and often sculpted in cast bronze.

While at Dana College, Petersen was drafted in the middle of his education, then returned on the GI Bill to do graduate work in art at the University of Wisconsin. Early in his career, Petersen taught at the University of Jamestown, North Dakota, where he sculpted a large buffalo that is still an important landmark of the city and the namesake of its moniker "Buffalo City".^[2] Petersen worked and taught at Texas Lutheran University^[3] before returning to Wisconsin in 1978^[4] and opening an art studio.

Petersen received thirteen awards out of 23 juried shows. In 2007, he displayed a collection at The Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa.^[5] Roger D. Roslansky, Chair of Board, HSR Associates of La Crosse, remarked that Petersen was "an invaluable resource and an extremely creative artist," "a sculptor of significant note!"

His death was announced on August 5, 2020, aged 91. Petersen died from Acute Myeloid leukemia and pneumonia^[6] at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin.^[7]

Works

• World's Largest Buffalo, Jamestown, ND.^[8]
• Martin Luther sculpture at Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, TX.
• Bicentennial Monument, Jamestown, ND.
• La Crosse Players, La Crosse, Wisconsin;^{[9] [10]} a replica is at the Rose Street city entrance
• Eagle, Riverside Park, La Crosse, Wisconsin,^[11] a large statue of 14-gauge weathering steel depicting a tree trunk with bald eagle atop it, clutching fish in its talons^[12]
• Head of Sculptor
• Gambrinus, "King of Beer," Heileman brewery, La Crosse, WI.
• Family, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, WI.
• Boy with Butterfly, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center lobby, La Crosse, WI.^[13]
• Master and Disciple, Lutheran Church of the Master, Edina, MN.
• Eagle Landmark, La Crosse, WI.
• Eagle and Eternal Flame, Veterans' Memorial Stadium, U. of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
• The Visionary, Galesville, WI.
• Gideon Hixon statue^[14]
• George Frost Kennan, Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Independence, MO.
• D.B. Reinhart, Aquinas H.S,, La Crosse, WI.
• George Gale, Galesville, WI.
• Rev. David O. Van Slyke, Galesville Methodist pastor and farmer, depicted with apple and Bible, in a statue on edge of downtown Galesville, WI.^[15]
• Symphonic Joy (2015), stained glass, Viterbo University campus^{[16] [17]}
• George Coleman Poage, first African-American Olympic medalist, Poage Park, La Crosse, WI.

Bibliography

• News: Elmer at 80: Hand Petersen the welding torch — there's more art to create. Parlin. Geri. September 6, 2008. La Crosse Tribune. July 26, 2014.
• Web site: Elmer Petersen's Sculptures on Display . Spring 2007 . June 21, 2014 . The Danish Immigrant Museum . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140729055240/http://www.danishmuseum.org/america_letter_archive/alspring07r.pdf . July 29, 2014 .
• News: Local roots: artists and entertainers with ties to La Crosse . February 24, 2013 . July 26, 2014 . La Crosse Tribune.
• Video with interview at Web site: Buffalo Sculptor Elmer Petersen passes,91. 2020-08-08. en-US.

Notes and References

1. News: Kent . Joan . June 30, 2006 . Statue Boy Will Keep Wearing Birthday Suit; The Gift Stirred Discussion Because Of Its Nudity . . . June 21, 2014 .
2. Web site: Sculptor of World's Largest Buffalo Passes Away. 2020-08-08. News Dakota. en-US.
3. News: Hemisfair Sculpture Show: 'Best Ever This Side of Ocean'. April 21, 1968. San Antonio Light. June 2, 2014.
4. Web site: Elmer Petersen, Sculptor of La Crosse. April 28, 2015. April 27, 2015. WKBT-DT. May 15, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160515111831/http://www.news8000.com/news/elmer-petersen-sculptor-of-la-crosse/32587984. dead.
5. Web site: Past Exhibitions. June 21, 2014. Danish American Museum.
6. Web site: 6 August 2020. Keith . Norman . Petersen, artist of World's Largest Buffalo, dies at 91. 2020-08-08. Jamestown Sun. en.
7. Web site: Williams. Brad. 2020-08-06. Local sculptor Elmer Petersen dies at 91. 2020-08-08. WIZM 92.3FM 1410AM. en-US.
8. News: . Jamestown's big buffalo sculpture gets a paint job . Bismarck Tribune. . June 19, 2007 . June 21, 2014 .
9. Book: Stephannie Hammes. Leslie F. Crocker. Forms and Spaces: Sculpture in La Crosse, Wisconsin. 1992.
10. Web site: Forms and Spaces: Sculpture in La Crosse, Wisconsin. murphylibrary.uwlax.edu. June 21, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141016165334/http://murphylibrary.uwlax.edu/digital/lacrosse/FormsSpaces/. October 16, 2014. dead.
11. Web site: Riverside Park History . City of La Crosse . June 21, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140808060333/http://www.cityoflacrosse.org/index.aspx?NID=1717&PREVIEW=YES . August 8, 2014 .
12. News: Rusty eagle needs patchwork. Magney. Reid. April 18, 2003. La Crosse Tribune. July 26, 2014.
13. Web site: Boy with Butterfly – Sculpture. Explore La Crosse: La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. explorelacrosse.com. June 21, 2014.
14. News: Local man supervises renovations to landmark: the "World's Largest Buffalo". Hyra. Jackie. July 19, 2007. La Crosse Tribune. July 26, 2014.
15. News: Hometown Icon: Galesville Square . September 18, 2014 . La Crosse Tribune .
16. News: 'Symphonic Joy' on campus . . July 30, 2015 . Daily . Erik . August 1, 2015 .
17. News: New sculpture installed on Viterbo's campus . . June 30, 2015 . August 1, 2015 .