American sculptor Beverly Pepper dies at 97 in Todi

Beverly Pepper, the American sculptor known for monumental works in iron, steel, and stone, died in Todi at age 97. Born in Brooklyn in 1922, she studied under André Lothe and Fernand Léger, and debuted as a painter in Rome in 1952 at Galleria dello Zodiaco. She transitioned to sculpture in the early 1960s after a trip to Cambodia. Her first sculpture exhibitions were in New York and Rome at Galleria Pogliani in 1961. In the 1970s she created environmental works, including Dallas Land Canal and Hillside (1971-1975) and Amphisculpture in New Jersey (1974-1976). She participated in the 34th Venice Biennale in 1972 and documenta 6 in Kassel in 1977. She moved permanently to Todi in 1972, where she built her studio. Her Todi Columns, first installed in Piazza del Popolo in 1979 and reinstalled in 2019, have also been shown in Washington, New York, Venice, and Florence. In 2014 her Circles were exhibited at the Museo dell'Ara Pacis in Rome. She created and donated Amphisculpture, a 3,000-square-meter open-air theater, to L'Aquila as part of the 'Nove artisti per la Ricostruzione' project. In September 2019, Todi inaugurated the Beverly Pepper Park, the first monographic contemporary sculpture park in Umbria and the first in the world named after the artist. The park features a copy of the Todi Columns and numerous works in corten steel, stainless steel, iron, and marble.