The Mustangs of Las Colinas

The mustangs of Las Colinas are an amazing work of public art located in the center of Williams Square plaza. Standing at 1.5 times the normal size of a mustang these horses make a striking impressions as they run through the waterway at the center of the plaza.  As you are standing next to these amazing sculptures you can imagine how the ground would vibrate as they stampede across the open prairie.   There are nine statues in all, each done in amazing detail and with a unique sense of motion. The mustangs of Las Colinas are the largest equestrian statues in the world.

This sculpture took eight years to design, mold and cast.  I was unveiled to the public in 1984 as the center piece to the large Las Colinas development project.  It was the dream of Ben H Carpenter who owned this land and was operating it as a ranch prior to developing the area in the 1970’s as urban growth encroached.  His idea was to keep the western history of the land alive by making this public art display.  Sculpture Robert Glen from Africa was commissioned to complete the work  in 1976.  It took Glen less than a year to design the display and the sculpting begun.

The bronze sculptures were cast in England at the Morris Singer Foundry, made famous by their work on the famous Lions of Trafalger Square. When the sculptures were completed they were flown from Heathrow airport in London to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.

Looking at these statues and the sheer size of the animals reminds you of the great pride Texans have in their heritage. Ben Carpenter did not want people to forget about the history of the land where office towers now stand, and this work of art is an amazing reminder.

In addition to the outside art exhibit there is a free museum and gift shop located in the west business tower on the first floor. The museum has a great photo essay on the development of the project depicting the process from start to finish. There is also a short movie that demonstrates the process and provides more information about the sculpting and casting process, it was very informative. The museum also has a very nice collection of Robert Glen artwork depicting the animals and people of Africa. The hours of operation for the museum are Wednesday thru Saturday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

This is a great free activity for the family and really is an amazing work of art.