Wollman comes eye-to-eye with sculpture of self

• Wollman statue

Former S.D. Gov. Harvey Wollman stands beside a statue of himself while artist John Lopez works on the life-sized piece of art. (Photo courtesy of Black Hills Stock Show)

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RAPID CITY — Harvey Wollman dropped in on the Black Hills Stock Show Friday to see sculptor John Lopez’s work in progress — a likeness of Wollman, which when finished will be included on the Trail of Governors in Pierre.

Wollman was governor for only five and a half months, ascending to the office in 1978 when then-Gov. Richard Kneip resigned to accept a position as ambassador to Singapore.

Wollman lost in the 1978 Democratic primary to Roger McKellips, who lost to Bill Janklow in the fall election.

The 77-year-old Wollman spent a good deal of his visit talking politics and reminiscing with reporters. He still farms near Huron.

Wollman said he was a big fan of the annual Rapid City ag show.

“What a great event this is,” he said of the stock show.

“You’ve got everything here. All this wonderful art, the livestock. I even got to see the manufacturer of a wire winder I own, so I could tell them what a good product it is.”

Lopez is working on his sculpture in the Black Hills Stock Show’s Western Art Show in the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Theater and will be there through today.

The stock show ends Sunday.

Tags: harvey wollman, trail of governors, life, updates, state, history, art, sculpture