Installation of 15-ton, 28ft steel sculpture by renowned Glen Ellen artist Bryan Tedrick is complete at Kenwood’s St. Anne’s Crossing Winery. Welcome event to be held this Saturday, 1/29 from 1-4, with Tedrick and winery owner Ken Wilson, all are welcome.
January 25, 2022 – Kenwood, CA–Installation of 28’ Grizzly Bear sculpture has completed at St. Anne’s Crossing Winery. St. Anne’s will be hosting an event this Saturday, 1/29 from 1PM-5PM to officially welcome the 15-ton steel sculpture. Members of the press and public are welcome to attend Saturday’s event or visit St. Anne’s Crossing anytime, at 8450 Sonoma Highway in Kenwood. St. Anne’s Crossing owner, Ken Wilson, and artist, Glen Ellen’s Bryan Tedrick, will be in attendance at Saturday’s event. Reservations are encouraged to allow St. Anne’s staff to maintain capacity limitations. Guests are welcome to schedule a tasting flight featuring some of St. Anne’s 5 gold medal-winning wines from this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, or purchase wine by the glass or bottle to enjoy while viewing the Bear.
This impressive feat of art has been in development for over 30 months—1600 hours, according to Tedrick–just down the road from St. Anne’s Crossing at Tedrick’s Glen Ellen studio. Ken Wilson is drawn to Tedrick’s art for many reasons, but is most engaged by Tedrick’s fondness for both large scale and fine detail—the way his use of steel and various materials provides definition down to the sinewy detail of muscle structure. The sculpture is endowed with even greater meaning for Ken Wilson, as it incorporates recycled steel from his Soda Rock Winery Tasting Room which burned down in the 2019 Kincade Fire. Tedrick says this is the largest piece he’s ever completed.
Wilson was first introduced to Tedrick’s work through the striking Bull structure on the street in Cloverdale, but really fell in love when Tedrick’s Coyote, first debuted at the 2013 Burning Man festival, was installed at the Geyserville Sculpture Trail. Wilson later purchased the Coyote which now reigns over Dry Creek Valley at the front of Wilson Winery. In 2016, Ken Wilson purchased another of Tedrick’s pieces, dubbed “Lord Snort,” – a giant wild boar, which had also debuted at Burning Man; it now lives at Soda Rock Winery in Alexander Valley, its sturdy construction having survived the fires. Ken Wilson is proud to be a patron of a talented local artist and to be able to highlight his stunning artwork in the high profile location of St. Anne’s Crossing Winery on Sonoma Highway.
Bryan Tedrick specializes in large, metal, kinetic work, and recognizes the compulsion to interact with his large scale pieces, which are created with the intention of allowing viewers to touch and climb, and his artwork has become a regular highlight of the annual Burning Man festival. Tedrick’s sculptures are meant to work in harmony with their environment, and can be seen in many locations around Sonoma County and beyond, including “Victory” at the Geyserville Sculpture Trail, “Valley of the Moon” in Oakmont, “Bucephalus” in Santa Rosa, and more. From Tedrick: “Doing a bear was Ken’s inspiration, my task was to bring it to life. The attitude he asked for was ferocious, and thus the pose. I incorporated some used steel recycled from local sources such as water pipes from Sobre Vista (the fur), light standards from the city of Sonoma (hands and feet), conveyor belt chain from the sawmill in Cloverdale (neck area), and beams from the charred remains of Soda Rock Winery (lower leg).
Interpretation of this bear, its meaning, is really as varied as the viewers. The Bear, to me, is a reminder of the wildlife that surrounds us and the will to survive. I am grateful to have been able to create this powerful sculpture and share it locally! My studio is only a few miles away and I have been able to work there for over 25 years thanks to the Gordenker Family”.
Most Californians are familiar with the state flag, but many do not know of its origins in Sonoma County. Ken Wilson wanted to honor Sonoma County’s important place in the history of California with this magnificent bear. The Bear Flag Revolt of 1846 took place in Sonoma Valley, when a group of rebels won a victory against General Vallejo and declared California an independent republic. The victorious rebels constructed a makeshift flag with a drawing of a grizzly bear and a star symbolizing their new republic, which lasted just 25 days until the bear flag was replaced by the US flag representing California’s official place as a member of the United States. The grizzly bear flag later became the basis for the official flag of the state of California in 1911, and the grizzly bear itself has become an enduring symbol of California and the rich history of the Sonoma Valley.
