What’s the story behind the wild animal sculptures popping up around Peoria?
Monte de Gallo is the larger than life alter ego of local area artist Nic Di Caro’s Sculptures by Monte.
“Monte is everyone, every man wishes he could be. He is debonnaire and dashing. He is bold and courageous. And, he is just plain F-U-N…fun!!”
1470 & 100.3 WMBD/Julia Bradley
Nic says a safari trip to Africa with his family years ago inspired him to create the large metal sculptures.
“I thought, you know what. What if I could meld this awe-inspiring animal so we can have this beauty right in front of us. But, we don’t need to enslave and capture these animals and put them into the zoos,” Di Caro said.
So, how are these large sculptures made?
“Each piece is made of recycled steel. We weld the frame so it balances. And, then once it balances, we little pieces we call the ‘skin’, and then we weld it into place,” Di Caro said.
Di Caro tells WMBD’s Greg and Dan that he has been working with the help of a team of sixteen craftsmen and welders to create the animals. A project that began seven years ago.
Di Caro’s art is being done in a warehouse in East Peoria. He says he is in the process of moving to a much larger space at East Peoria’s Industrial Business Center.
He hopes to spread word of his sculptures worldwide, and sell them to customers around the globe.
For more information about Sculptures by Monte, click HERE.
