Two driftwood Texas longhorn sculptures will soon be placed at the gateway marker on the east side of Dayton along US 90. At Monday night’s Dayton City Council meeting, the Dayton Enhancement Committee shared its plans for the sculptures, which are the work of Dayton artist Charles Vogliardo with Bad CowBoy Rustic Furniture and Lighting.
Members of the Dayton Enhancement Committee sought out Vogliardo after seeing the life-size sculptures at his shop on FM 1960.
“We contacted the artist and arranged to meet with him. We found out that it takes about three months to do each one. They are made of lots of little pieces of driftwood. He puts them together with steel brads on a wooden form,” said Dayton Mayor Caroline Wadzeck. “Most of the driftwood comes from Washington State.”
The original price tag for the longhorns was $5,000 each. With a little persuasion, the committee was able to get them for $1,000 each.
“He also made Broncos and we are interested in them in the future, but we probably won’t get such a good deal. We just happened to catch him at a good time to get a great deal,” Wadzeck said.
The money to purchase the longhorn sculptures will come from the City of Dayton’s Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund, which must be used to promote tourism to the city.
“Someone said the other night at the meeting that the statues might not help tourism to our area, and they might not, but it is a beautification project that will enhance the city overall for tourism,” Wadzeck said.
Look for the new sculptures to be placed at the gateway marker in the next two weeks. They will be located next to the American flag on the northeastern slope that enters Dayton from the Trinity River bottom.
“It will be eye-catching,” Wadzeck said. “Eventually they will be lit up. Right now we are working to get them installed. We want them to be a permanent display for the City of Dayton.”
For more information on the artist, go online to https://bcbrusticfurniture.com/