‘The Rabbit’ returns to Minnesota State Fair
Granite sculpture by Eagan artist Tony Caponi featured in special exhibit for Fine Art Exhibition’s anniversary
by Jessica Harper
Thisweek Newspapers
“The Rabbit,” a granite sculpture by Tony Caponi, is on display in a special exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair in celebration of the fair’s Fine Arts Exhibition’s 100th anniversary. The exhibit runs until Sept. 5 when the fair closes. - Photo submitted
The fiber of Tony Caponi’s inner being is filled with sculptures, paintings and poetry.
Where he begins and his craft ends remains to be seen.
The same principle applies to many of his sculptures. The material he uses, and the figure he’s creating, often seem to melt into one another.
“When people think I didn’t touch it,” said Caponi, founder of the Caponi Art Park in Eagan, “I know it is a success.”
This style is evident in his granite sculpture, “The Rabbit,” which is currently on display at the Minnesota State Fair.
The 90-year-old Eagan resident is among 38 prominent Minnesota artists who were asked to display their work in a special exhibit for the 100th anniversary of the fair’s Fine Art Exhibition. The exhibit runs through Sept. 5.
Caponi carved “The Rabbit” in 1949 while he was finishing his master’s at the University of Minnesota and mentoring at Macalester College.
The piece earned first prize at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and was entered into the Fine Arts Exhibition of the 1949 Minnesota Territorial Centennial State Fair.
Stone was rarely used by local artists at the time, and Caponi taught himself how to carve directly into the medium.
Tony Caponi, founder of the Caponi Art Park and Learning Center in Eagan, sculpted a granite boulder into “The Rabbit” in 1949 while studying at the University of Minnesota and mentoring at Macalester College. - Photo by Jessica Harper
Though they may appear ordinary to the untrained eye, Caponi is fascinated by the beauty and potential of stones.
Each time Caponi has worked with the medium, he finds something new, such as a fossil or a mineral deposit.
“It’s always an adventure,” he said.
Whether he’s using stone or bronze, Caponi tries to maintain the medium’s integrity rather than create something entirely new.
“I’m always suspicious of people who find beauty only in museums,” he said. “There’s so much natural beauty.”
Much of Caponi’s work is influenced by nature and his early childhood in Pretare, Italy, a tiny village in the Apennine Mountains on the Adriatic coast.
When Caponi was 15 years old, his family moved to the United States.
Caponi moved to Minnesota in 1946 to study at the Walker Art Center School and later at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a master’s.
Shortly after graduating from the U of M, Caponi became a professor at Macalester College in St. Paul.
He led the college’s art department for 42 years and was the driving force in creating the Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center there.
Under his leadership, Macalester’s art department became among the top 14 in the nation.
Caponi has spent the past 40 years creating and overseeing the Caponi Art Park and Learning Center in Eagan.
The park features 60 acres of rolling wooded hills, a sculpture garden, an outdoor amphitheater and several miles of walking paths.
The nonprofit is dedicated to making art and nature easily accessible to the public.
Caponi opened the park in 1987 for tours and activities for schools and other organizations.
The park began offering free activities and performances for the public in 1994.
E-mail Jessica Harper at:
jessica.harper@ecm-inc.com
