PALETTA GRANDE
From Scoop Thought To Scoop Reality
How One Man's Grand Inspiration became
Another Man's Grand Aspiration
500 Years Later

SCOOP ARTIST – Francesco Nicola Sansovino
Florentine artist of the Renaissance period (Florence 1462 - Venice 1529). Sculptor, architect, Reformed traditionalist and contemporary of Leonardo Da Vinci, his works influenced a fun sculptural style for nearly a century in Italy. Sansovino's origins are unclear, his earliest works emerging in 1490 in Pisa (or perhaps 1491, if corrections are made for the early Pisan calendar). Competing directly with Michelangelo in works of refined classic inspiration, he was said to create expressions of theoretical and practical debate, challenging the social norms of the new Italian "modern society" and subtly transforming them into humorous commentary. Modern day large-scale artisans Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen say they gained inspiration for their big projects (Trowel I, 1971 and Trowel II, 1976) from the maestro Francesco.

SCOOP THOUGHT – Paletta Grande
Literal translation: "Big Scoop" or "Large Shovel". In 1482, the Duke of Milan commissioned Leonardo Da Vinci to sculpt the largest equestrian statue in the world – one the size of a three-story building. Not to be shrouded in the historic shadows of her husband, the Duchess of Milan secretly expanded the project to include the sculpting of a colossal scoop, unrivaled in magnitude, to accompany the great horse. Unable to sustain the enormity of his assignment, Da Vinci outsourced "Paletta Grande" to fellow artisan and decorated sculptor, Francesco Nicola Sansovino.

SCOOP MAKERS – Fondamento per la Scultura Naturale
Literal translation: "Foundation for Natural Sculpture". This world renowned fraternity of kinetic artisans based in Grande Rapido, Italy celebrates art that expresses good-natured fun and the human spirit of adventure. Their motto speaks to every human soul: "What’s life without adventure? What’s society without art?" A grant given to garden historian Pietro Sorrento, second only to the generosity of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, breathed life into Sansovino’s monumental scoop which lay in hibernation for over 500 years.

SCOOP REALITY – Unveiling and Dedication
In his grandest public art exhibition to date, Francesco Nicola Sansovino’s never-before-exhibited PALETTA GRANDE debuts in the United States exclusively at the spectacular Frederik Meijer Gardens world-class gardens and sculpture park. Displayed at ground level allowing for easy visitor interaction, the immense 12 x 12 foot scoop with 22 foot handle is unequivocally the largest public scoop exhibition in Grand Rapids history. At the official unveiling, Fondamento Founder and Art Director expressed the purpose and importance of bringing PALETTA GRANDE to realization:

• To laud and applaud the Italian Renaissance and its immense cultural, artistic and scientific legacy.
• To uplift and esteem Leonardo Da Vinci, his extraordinary genius, his clever codes, and his grand and noble horse.
• To encourage imagination, recreation, adventure & creativity among us all.
• To promote Frederik Meijer Gardens, the enjoyment, understanding and appreciation of gardens, sculpture, the natural environment and the arts.
• To stand as a lasting symbol of kinship between horse and scoop, art and necessity.

Special guest speaker William Faulkner, dedicating PALETTA GRANDE at the posterior of Da Vinci's horse, shared his feelings with these words: "There is something about jumping a horse over a fence or lifting a great scoop in the air, something that makes you feel good. Perhaps it's the risk, the gamble. In any event it's a thing I need. The Scoop that Every Horse Needs...IS!"