Tickets Available for "20% Chance of Flurries"

By Bill Nelson, Library Director

August 10 , 2005

On Saturday, March 29, 1980 , weather forecasters called for “20 percent chance of flurries.” However, livestock owners soon had plenty to worry about as a severe snowstorm quickly hammered the central plains with 3 feet of snow in the middle of calving season. True to the Wyoming spirit, the cowboys rose to the occasion and went about rescuing as many animals as possible.

This endless struggle of ranchers against nature is what Casper sculptor Chris Navarro expresses in his latest monument, “20% Chance of Flurries.” The monument features a rancher on horseback rescuing a calf which lies across his saddle. Six years ago, the Colorado State Department of Agriculture commissioned Navarro to create this 15-foot tall bronze monumental sculpture to honor the ranchers of the high plains. After years of work, Navarro’s sculpture will be dedicated at the Colorado State University campus on September 23. It is a masterpiece that reflects the artist’s understanding of the West.

In his youth, Navarro was a rodeo competitor and much of his work reflects that rodeo life. In discussing how he learned his sculpting skills, Chris says, “books opened windows of the world to me. The great artists of the world taught me there are no limitations in the world of art.” In fact, Chris began his sculpting career by studying books right here at the Natrona County Public Library. Over the years, his reflections of the West have given him a national following.

You now have a chance to win a smaller version of Navarro’s latest work. During the next two months, the Natrona County Public Library Foundation will be raffling a maquette of “20% Chance of Flurries.” The statue is 15 ¾ inches high and 13 ½ inches long and will be on display at the library during September and October. You are encouraged to stop by to view this piece of art. While at the library you might enjoy reading the poem “20% Chance of Flurries” by Navarro’s cowboy poet friend, Jeff Anslinger.

Raffle tickets are $5.00 each and available at the library’s Checkout Desk, Metro Coffee, Blue Heron Books and Ralph’s Books and Cards. The drawing for the sculpture will be held at noon on Friday, November 4, 2005. Our goal is to sell about 1,500 tickets.

Proceeds from the raffle will go toward building the Foundation’s endowment.

The Foundation is steadily building a $1 million endowment which will be used to augment the library’s collection, to provide exceptional library programming and to help operate the Foundation for years to come. Additionally, for every $2 raised in the raffle, the McMurry Foundation will contribute $1 to the endowment building campaign.

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