St. Francis figure, carved by Ben Ortega. The body is of a single piece of wood. Face carved; beard darker and vertically incised; rope around waist. Arms, feet, and birds on shoulders are carved separately and doweled and/or glued on. Period: c. 1978. Fine Arts Committee held a Ben Ortega exhibition at Bemis Public Library in 1978, and likely purchased this afterwards.

St. Francis
Ben Ortega
c.1978
Wood
Purchased by the Fine Arts Committee

The Fine Arts Collection consists of artwork acquired for the City of Littleton's public art collection, or art portfolio. The collection includes permanent installations in City-owned public parks and buildings, as well as a large collection of rotating artworks which are only available for exhibition in City-owned buildings, such as the Littleton Center, Bemis Public Library, Littleton Court House, and the Littleton Museum. Artworks in the Rotating Collection are exhibited for short terms in order to avoid light damage, pest infestation, vandalism, etc., as well as to freshen up public spaces on occasion. When on display, the Rotating Collection artworks are located indoors and may not be accessible during evening or weekend hours.

Owner: City of Littleton
Maintenance Authority: City of Littleton - Fine Arts Board/Littleton Museum