Garda Artist Gianfranco Loro Engages Children in Wood Carving Projects
A Sculptor at the Kindergarten. Gianfranco Loro, an artist from Bardolino, spent an entire day among the children at the Garda preschool, chiseling a figure of an owl from a cherrywood log.
At the end of May, he will return to sculpt Pinocchio and to give a wood carving demonstration to the children and their parents as part of the “Children’s Festival.” All of this to complete an educational project that, this year, involved about one hundred young students from the kindergarten named after Angelo and Sebastiano Bacchini exploring various trades.
The Project and Site Visits
Among the most admired works was that of the carpenter, which inspired the idea of inviting a wood carver. Watching a figure come to life from a piece of wood fascinated the young students, who closely followed each step of the sculpture’s creation process.
Equally appreciated was the previous visit to the Garda boatyard of Gianni Dal Ferro, the creator of the vessels for the Spanish royal family. Dal Ferro now uses composite materials, but for years was considered one of the best at working with wood for building sailing ships. He, too, has a background as a carpenter.
The Passion and Experience of Gianfranco Loro
But let’s return to the sculptor. Gianfranco Loro, who manages a trattoria with a kitchen as his profession, became passionate about sculpture about ten years ago, when he traveled to Guatemala to visit a Bardolino missionary, Father Luigi Rama.
There, the lakeside restaurateur encountered Indian art, and upon returning home, he couldn’t resist the temptation to carve figures in wood inspired by Guatemalan spirit — with commendable results.
One sculpture in particular, a Madonna with Child exhibiting Latin American features, was sent directly to Guatemala for Father Rama’s mission. The missionary had expressed the desire to place a statue of the Madonna in the Zacualpa parish that resembled an indigenous woman, with a child on her shoulders, similar to what local women do.
“Because the common people,” said the Bardolino priest, “need to confide in saints and feel close to them.” Gianfranco Loro fulfilled that wish.
The Cherrywood Owl and the Preschool Activities
What’s curious is that this statue was carved from the trunk of an old, majestic Lebanese cedar that, for many years in Garda, was used as a striking Christmas tree.
Now, from a piece of cherrywood, Loro has carved the shape of an owl, entertaining the children of Garda. And, by the way, if parents or relatives of the children at the Garda preschool wish to see the carved wooden owl, they should know that it is on display at the kindergarten.
Gianfranco Loro, in fact, donated his sculpture to the school. There is also extensive photographic documentation, as the artist’s work was followed by the president of the Città di Garda photographic club, Francesco Madella.
