Many whom have visited Unassimilated have asked about the towering concrete statue greeting them in the front yard. Michael Ritchie wanted a “gift for the neighborhood” when he hired Deborah Grebenar to create a sculpture for his properties. He met Ms. Grebenar when he was on the board of a dance company where she was a volunteer dancer and talented sculptor. Always an advocate for local artists, he worked with her to design a piece that represents the concept of re-creating something new out of an existing object. This is the whole premise of Unassimilated’s business model.

This particular piece challenged Ms. Grebenar to build a sculpture much larger than her usual work which was typically under six feet. “Re-Creation” stands 16’ tall and is rooted several feet in the ground. Usually, her work took five days. This one took three months. As with all of her art, Ms. Grebenar becomes part of the community that she works in, and part of her remains embedded in the community through her sculpture.

Mr. Ritchie envisioned a twirling, dancing figure to honor the dance community that continues to play an important role in his life. The dancer is holding up an amorphous object - ready to be formed into something new. Ms. Grebenar’s inspiration for “Re-Creation” was the Native American story of Calf Woman. You can read more of that story as told to Denver Woman in the February-March 2006 issue.

Members of the community are welcome to view this “gift to the neighborhood” on the main campus of Unassimilated, where you can find many treasures waiting to be re-created.