Giant Steps

by Gary Alsum

Gary Alsum’s “Giant Steps” is one of his first ever life-sized sculptures. Alsum's favorite subjects to depict are children playing as he enjoys portraying their innocent enthusiasm for life and freedom to explore the world. A common theme found in his works is the celebration of the gift of life; In his words, he may regard his sculptures as successful if they “…heighten the viewer’s awareness of how precious that gift is.” As the young boy takes “Giant Steps” on his stilts, we are reminded of childhood innocence and how precious this gift of life really is. The purchase of “Giant Steps” started when at the end of a Central Edmond Urban Board’s beautification project, there was a surplus of funds left in the budget. Former Mayor Randel Shadid submitted a formal request to Management staff and City Council to use the funds to purchase five sculptures for the downtown area and was approved. It was installed in 2002 and can be seen and enjoyed in downtown Edmond to this day.

Worktype: People Sculptures