MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR 2026!
JUNE 19 – 27, 2026

The Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival, in partnership with the Friends of San Damiano, will unite renowned artists worldwide for a week-long residency in Monona, Wisconsin, in an outdoor setting on Lake Monona. They will create captivating sculptures, showcase their previous works, and engage with the community during their stay.

This festival is significant culturally and artistically because it is the first international festival dedicated to an indigenous person, honoring the legacy of the late Monona, Wisconsin, and Ho-Chunk Nation sculptor Harry Whitehorse. Through wood sculpting, it fosters cultural exchange, promotes indigenous arts, and celebrates the natural beauty of San Damiano Monona.

What sets this festival apart is its fusion of tradition and innovation, combining contemporary and traditional wood sculpting techniques. The emphasis on international collaboration and indigenous artistry adds a rich layer of diversity and cultural exchange. The festival’s setting on the picturesque shores of Lake Monona, coupled with its interactive programming and community engagement initiatives, creates a truly immersive and unforgettable experience for attendees.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: debwhitehorse@gmail.com

As the Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival comes to a close, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this event a tremendous success.

First and foremost, we would like to express our profound gratitude to the Ho-Chunk people and the Ho-Chunk Nation. Your invaluable support and assistance in planning the festival were instrumental in its success. We deeply appreciate the opportunity to honor the fact that this is Ho-Chunk ancestral land and to share the Ho-Chunk people’s rich cultural heritage. Harry Whitehorse, a proud Ho-Chunk veteran, drew his artistic inspiration from this heritage, and it was a privilege to highlight this connection through the festival.

We extend our deepest appreciation to the community of Monona and the surrounding areas. Your active participation and return visits were the heart and soul of this festival. This event was created for you, to bring communities together, and your enthusiasm and engagement made it all worthwhile.

I want to express our gratitude to the City of Monona for their ongoing support and the Little Eagle Arts Foundation for allowing us to exhibit traditional Ho-Chunk arts and crafts. These artistic traditions played a vital role in Harry Whitehorse’s early development as an artist.

We also want to express our gratitude to the steering committee members Gene Delcourt, Stacy Levin, Janice Rice, Jon Thundercloud, Pat Howell, and Nancy Moore, as well as our dedicated event organizer Jane Schroeder. Your dedication and hard work were crucial to the festival’s success.

Our sincere thanks go out to the wonderful volunteers whose efforts were indispensable, our funders and in-kind donors, and the community restaurants that provided food for our artists. This was indeed a grassroots effort, and it couldn’t have happened without your generous contributions.

One of the most frequently asked questions is, “Where will the sculptures go?” We are excited to announce that five will be placed at Olbrich Botanical Gardens for a one-year exhibit. We are working out the details for the remaining sculptures and will update you once the locations are finalized.

Finally, we are thrilled to announce that we will be holding another Harry Whitehorse International Wood Sculpture Festival in 2026. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to once again come together to celebrate art, culture, and community.

Thank you all for being a part of this extraordinary event. Stay tuned for more updates; we can’t wait to see you in 2026!

Deb Whitehorse
June 26, 2024