Mujeres de Colores is excited to announce that the Bohemian Foundation and the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority are collaborating to offer a matching challenge grant to The Hand That Feeds Sculpture Monument to be built at Sugar Beet Park in north Fort Collins. They have pledged to match dollar for dollar up to $125,000, all donations given to the project.
About The Hand That Feeds Monument
The Hand That Feeds, both a monument and a sculpture, is designed to preserve and honor the rich family history and significant contributions of the Mexican and Hispanic people who worked the beet fields of northern Colorado. It tells the story of the people who changed the culture and fabric of the Fort Collins community with their hard work, perseverance, courage and determination. The Short-Hoerepresents the back-breaking work required by the field workers. The Hand represents the very people who carried out that work, the Mexican and Hispanic families who came to this area to work the beet fields. The sculpture will be created by artist Frank Garza of Loveland.
Included in the sculpture plaza is a large interpretive storyboard to help visitors understand northern Colorado’s sugar beet industry and its impact on our community.
The total cost of the monument and plaza is $300,000. A fundraising campaign is going on now and will continue until the project is completed. In addition to the DDA, kick starter donors include High Country Beverage, Might Arrow Foundation, New Belgium Brewery and The Latino Foundation.
The project is underway now. Artist Frank Garza has begun creating the sculpture in his studio. Soon it will be moved to the foundry – Art Castings of Colorado – for bronzing. The goal is to complete the monument by September 2021 as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.
More information on The Hand That Feeds and how to donate can be found at www.mujeresdecolores.org or by calling Betty Aragon-Mitotes at 970-412-4536 or blaragon@msn.com.
