APHA commissions artist to sculpt bronze Paint Horses for Fort Worth headquarters

FORT WORTH, Texas-Paint Horses will appear larger than life at the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) world headquarters in 2002, with the welcome addition of a bronze sculpture depicting a stallion, two mares and a foal.

APHA's executive committee recently selected noted sculptor Maritta McMillian to create the "life-and-a-quarter" size bronze to be placed in front of the APHA's world headquarters building on Meacham Boulevard in Fort Worth.

McMillian has trained and shown horses professionally for more than 25 years, and is widely known for having a keen eye about her subjects. APHA executives took special note of her penchant for detail in choosing her for the task.

"Selecting an artist was an arduous process," said Executive Secretary Ed Roberts. "We originally received 19 proposals and narrowed the field to four and then two. With her background as a professional trainer and a barn full of world champion caliber horses in her backyard to serve as models, Marrita makes an excellent choice for this project."

"This will be fun," McMillian said from her home and studio in Gainesville, Texas. "With the movement of the horses, this will be an exciting piece to do." McMillian said she chose to depict the horses in motion rather than in standing positions, "because it's more realistic and a lot more exciting. It will appeal to more viewers-horse people and non-horse people as well."

The sculptor said the work will depict horses loping in a pasture, bringing out the character, muscling and conformation of the stallion, mares and colt.

To highlight the colors of the Paint Horses, McMillian explained that she will use a special chemical coloring process on the bronze. "The Paint Horses and bronze coloring will really set this piece apart," she said.

McMillian will display a maquette, or one-eighth lifesize model, to the APHA Board members during the APHA Convention to be held Oct. 4-8 in Seattle, Wash. Maquettes and one-third lifesize bronzes of the sculpture will be made available to APHA members and the general public by January 2001.

The final sculpture is expected to be unveiled in front of the APHA headquarters building in July 2002.