Patron Sought for Horse Sculpture

A bronze horse was put on display at the Civic Arts Plaza on Friday to attract a donor willing to give $1 million to complete the sculpture and help fund the arts.

The Thousand Oaks Alliance for the Arts, which is soliciting the donation, wants $250,000 to finish two remaining bronze horses for a sculpture to be called “Running Free,” said Patricia Moore, the alliance’s executive director. The remaining money, said Moore, would go into the alliance’s endowment fund for future projects.

The horse will be displayed next to the Scherr Forum at the plaza for six months.

“We want to give people a chance to look at it up close,” Moore said. “It’s much better to see something in person than just look at a picture.”

David Huenergardt, a professional sculptor for 25 years, created the piece, which will be 48 feet long. The City Council approved the Thousand Oaks Art Commission’s recommendation to accept the sculpture in September. Huenergardt donated the first horse to the city.