Sculptor Peter Toth checks the 35 foot statue as a Colquitt friend, Charles Bevis steadies the ladder. Colquitt has a state, national and international reputation of being a leader in the arts. Being the choice for the Indian statue for the state of Georgia in our small rural area started us on the way to becoming a string of firsts.

Back in 1973, this 25-year-old, Hungarianborn sculptor/artist pulled into Colquitt on his minivan where he stayed and chose a large cedar tree to carve into an Indian sculpture. It was growing in almost in the same spot where the new statue in this photo is now located.

Toth would work his art in the northern states in the summer and the southern states in the fall and winters. He was surprised by one of the rare snows in Colquitt while he was here in 1973, but the Akron, OH native didn’t seem to mind the snow here in Colquitt.

This humanitarian artist has carved or sculptured in stone a statue to the American Indian in every state in the U.S.A., and several provinces of Canada. The one in 1973 was the fourth statue following ones in California, Ohio and Florida. Each of

Peter is up about half-way the giant statue checking out what needs to be done to preserve it. these heroic Whispering Giants chronicles the epic struggles of all men facing injustice, inhumanity and tyranny. Toth started this venture in 1972, and completed his goal for a statue in every state, finishing in Hawaii in 1988.

Saturday, July 10, 2010, now world renown sculptor and artist, Peter Wolf Toth came by to check on one of his over 2000 sculptures that he has created, and has donated as gifts.

Toth continues to plan further sculptures in other countries and also spend time making repairs and preforming maintenance on the existing sculptures. He has created replacement sculptures where statues have been damaged or destroyed by the elements as his first was in Colquitt. The first one lasted for many years and was cut down and moved in front of the city cemetery. The new sculpture, completed in 2002, stands 35 feet high and is now located next to the five-lane U.S. Highway 27, on the property of the Colquitt/Miller Chamber of Commerce. It was carved from a huge tree that was purchased with private donations and shipped to Colquitt.

Peter has a Home Studio Museum Art World Gallery with some of his work near his home on U.S. 1 in Edgewater, FL.

He sells his collection of art from $37 to $37,000 to finance his quest to pay for his philanthropic endeavors such as the one here.

It’s always good to have an old friend come back to see us.