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The world famous "Leo Mol Sculpture Garden" located in Assiniboine or City Park in Wpg Manitoba visits visitors from around the globe to enjoy the magnificent works of the master sculptor Dr. Leo Mol. The Leo Mol Sculpture Garden combines artistic beauty in a most natural setting.
Mol himself was emphatic that sculptures should be available for viewing by the public. He was fond of saying that "Statues and busts are meant for public display …. Look at the Romans. The Greeks – their statues were all in the open." Further the artist and sculptor would state "In Europe today, the statues are all out in the open. It's a tradition." These were the basis of the planning and follow through for this "Leo Mol Sculpture Garden" which serves as a major Winnipeg and Manitoba cultural tourist attraction that "Statues are not meant to be only in galleries. . "
Widely known around the world for his bronze sculptures as well as other forms of art, which included stained glass windows, Mol as artist is credited for having works in noted institutions and galleries worldwide including the Vatican Museum, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC USA, the Art Gallery of Ontario Canada, the McMicheal Canadian Art Collection and the local Winnipeg Art Gallery. In addition Leo Mol's unique sculptures are both treasured portions of both private and corporate art and cultural display collections throughout Europe, Asia, England the USA and Canada. In 2002 the Mol sculpture "Lumberjacks" was featured as an official Canadian postage stamp.
During a career that lasted fully more than 50 years, Leo sculpted popes, cardinals, royalty statesman, community, national and international leaders, artists of the Group of Seven and many other notable figures. Leo's personal history began in far away Ukraine. Born Lenoid Molodozhanyn in 1915 in the village of Polonne Ukraine, he learned to work with clay directly from his father, who was a potter himself.
Lenoid was a top student at the Leningrad Academy of Arts in the 1930's. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, he was conscripted and sent to Germany, but in 1945 managed to flee to the Netherlands and thus continue his training in Holland. In 1948-49 the artist, now named Mol and his wife immigrated to Canada.
What can be considered amazing that long before the worldwide web, the internet and the ability to easily contact and network within the arts community that Leo Mol was able to promote and promote his work to the point of world recognized all from a relatively small, cold winter Canadian prairie city of Winnipeg remote from all major cultural centers, art dealers, galleries and institutions, in such an an out of the way place. On top of that one should remember that the art product in question were reliably large sculptures that had to be viewed on site directly. Photos could and would never do an authentic Mol sculpture justice. And yet Mol's work gained great renown and a steady stream of mandated works.
Yet to the end Leo Mol remained a proud and grateful Manitoban who continued to craft his works and be a staunch supporter of the local Wpg community cultural scene. He steadfastly refused to move on to larger centers of what were considered greater influences in the fine arts and cultural world, which would of afforded better opportunities to network, interface with arts leaders which whom to promote his works of art and reputation and renown.
To this end it is no secret and no wonder that the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden facility in Assiniboine Park contracts literally thousands of visitors annually from all over the world and hold international renounce for the City of Winnipeg and one of its most famous citizens of artistic renown .
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