Art in Manitou Springs

All the times I've passed by Manitou Springs I've never really thought of it as being a town of art. Every time I go to Manitou Springs, I only think of antiques and an old town. This is because every time I have gone there, it’s for the Penny arcade. When I actually took the time to look around the town and see all the art Manitou had to offer, I definitely see Manitou in whole other light. The art work that Manitou has to offer really gives me the idea that the artists love the environment that they live in. When walking through Memorial Park I noticed the carving of the dwarf and the bird on his shoulder. This to me says that some artist saw something beautiful out of devastation. The fact that the artist decided to use the stump of a tree that was destroyed in a tornado was definitely unique. Whenever I see carvings in trees, I always think, how did that artist see that in that piece of wood? Then just a little hop, skip away, they have a hobbit house made from another stump that was left behind from the tornado. The fact that these artists used nature as their stage makes them very unique. When leaving the park, they have the old train/cog that went up Pikes Peak. This gave me a sense of history, showing me that people have been going to the top of Pikes Peak since Manitou Springs was founded. This makes me want to go on the cog rail just seeing it. Walking up a ways, I saw my most favorite piece of art, which would have to be the Black Diamond Buffalo. I loved the fact that they used scrap metal to create this piece of art, it shows that one man’s trash can another man’s treasure. I loved the fact that the chain looked just like the fur on a Buffalo. Then, I saw the time clock that showed me how time flies when you take the time to stop and look around and see everything this town has to offer.