Christopher’s 50th Birthday

Christopher, the Wonderful, Geometric Sculpture by John Raimondi is 50 Years Old.

The L. C. Bates Museum will have an outdoor 50^th Birthday party for Christopher on Saturday, August 28 at 1 PM. You are invited to come visit Christopher and learn about its history. If you are not familiar with Christopher, come learn about it at the 50^th birthday party. The sculpture is located outside, behind the museum. At the birthday party, there will be refreshments and an art project will be available for children.

John Raimondi, a world-renowned artist and collector now living in Florida created Christopher. During the summer of 1971, he was the artist in residence at the Haystack-Hinckley School of Crafts on the campus of Good Will-Hinckley. Christopher was designed and built by John Raimondi. The sculpture is made of welded Corten steel. Christopher is the second in Raimondi’s series of geometric minimalist sculptures that he created during the 1970s.

Raimondi, then 24, lived on campus and students had the opportunity to work with him instead of attending their regular classes. Only one student, Christopher Desmond, took up the offer to assist the sculptor. Raimondi taught him how to weld and involved him in the creation of his sculpture. Desmond’s dedication and determination inspired Raimondi to name the sculpture after him.

Since his time at the Haystack-Hinckley School, Raimondi has gone on to have a successful career as a monumental sculptor. At the birthday party for Christopher, you will learn more about the history of the sculpture and its creator.

For more information about the celebration for Christopher, contact the L.C. Bates Museum at lcbates@gwh,org or by phone at 297-238-4250.