Hunter Museum of American Art

And the winner is. . .

The Troupe by Bart Walter

Bart Walter (b. 1958, Baltimore, MD) has become one of the definitive sculptors of primates in the nation. His chimpanzees loll in the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC and their authenticity has been certified and embraced by primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall. Walter often sculpts his figures from life (preferably in the wild) with a small clay or wax model to achieve the faithful realism and endearing personality of his subjects.

Both of the staffs at the Hunter Museum and the Chattanooga Zoo enjoyed the dynamic interaction between the traveling chimpanzees of Walter’s The Troupe. Each figure represents a member of the chimpanzee social group, from the Alpha males to the mothers and their young. These figures can be spread along two of the raised flower beds in the interior entrance plaza within the Chattanooga Zoo, so the viewer can examine the full breadth of the interacting eight figures. This sculpture is particularly extraordinary because the artist traveled to the Kibale Forest in Uganda, Africa, to sculpt this group of chimpanzees from life.

Detail of a Mother and Child figure from The Troupe.

Walter’s work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; The National Geographic Society, Washington, DC; and the Canton Museum of Art, Canton, Ohio. He lives in Westminster, Maryland. To see more of Mr. Walter’s work, visit www.bartwalter.com.

A proposal for how The Troupe might be installed at the Chattanooga Zoo site.

Description of work: The Troupe, group of seven Chimpanzee figures 2002 Edition of 3 Bronze Size: Life-size, approximately 2.5 feet high x 2.5 feet wide x 1.25 feet deep

The Location

The Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park Located just a few miles from the Hunter Museum and downtown Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park stretches across six acres of land and houses animals from all over the world. In one afternoon, you can visit the Gombe Forest, home to five energetic chimpanzees; trek across the Himalayan Passage where red pandas and snow leopards recline; then head down to South America to catch a peek at the jaguar or eavesdrop on the boisterous macaws. You can access the zoo off of East Third Street. The Hunter Museum plans to place the winning sculpture inside the gates of the Zoo's new front entrance.