Synopsis
On September 17 at 10am, the City of Westlake Village will dedicate a twelve foot, bronze “Oh Great Spirit” sculpture donated by Don, Teri, Taylor, and Alison Ernst, and sculpted by nationally acclaimed artist, Nell Banister Scruggs. For more details and information, see the full announcement from the City below.
Full Announcement
City of Westlake Village to Dedicate ?Oh Great Spirit? Sculpture by Nationally Renowned Bronze Sculptor Nell Banister Scruggs
On Saturday morning, September 17, the City of Westlake Village will host a dedication ceremony for the recently installed ?Oh Great Spirit? statue at the Westlake Village Civic Center. The statue was donated to the City through the generosity of Don, Teri, Taylor, and Alison Ernst and was sculpted by nationally acclaimed artist, Nell Banister Scruggs.
The twelve foot bronze ?Oh Great Spirit? sculpture depicts a Native American. Nell Banister Scruggs describes the piece as ?a communion of spirit between people, plants, medicine, and health that Native Americans first discovered.? Ms. Scruggs created a total of three such statues. The first is on display in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina and the second is located in the city of San Luis Obispo.
The dedication ceremony will feature remarks from Westlake Village Mayor Ned E Davis and Don Ernst who provided the gift to the City on behalf of the artist. In addition, local Chumash tribe members from the Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks will present a blessing, water welcome song, and a traditional Chumash story. This cultural experience will continue that morning at the Westlake Village Library which will be featuring a number of books and other materials on Native American history and culture.
The dedication ceremony and statue unveiling will begin at 10:00 am and take place at the Westlake Village Civic Center located at 31200 Oak Crest Drive in the view terrace plaza. For more information on this special occasion, please contact Westlake Village City Hall at 818-706-1613.
