Update 6/3/2024: It took all of the month of May to install the 8+ tons of stone pavers for Inspiration Plaza. It looks terrific. Can you see the bow-tie?? Our inspiration came from a special human who has transformed the River Front Park, #IYKYK The columns will be engraved next, followed by the installation of the sculptures the end of June. We look forward to sharing those images! Update 4/17/2024: The National Sculptors’ Guild is on-site to oversee the installation of several elements for “Inspiration Plaza” a multifaceted art placement and public space designed by John Kinkade for Riverfront Park in Little Rock, Arkansas. It’s exciting to see over a years’ worth of work come together. And that’s a wrap for now… 8.5 tons of basalt from Coverall Stone Inc. is in place. Next up will be 8 tons of pavers from Tribble Stone followed by engraving and another crane date to place the bronze and stainless steel sculptures by Denny Haskew and Mark Leichliter. We can’t wait! Deep thanks to Jackie Collins & the Little Rock Parks and Rec team! “Inspiration Plaza” Designed by John Kinkade, Art Elements by Denny Haskew and Mark Leichliter, Site Development by the Little Rock Parks & Recreation, commissioned through the Sculpture at the River Market, special thanks to Colorado Waterjet Company, Art Castings of Colorado, Shippers' Supply Custom Pack, Landstar, Coverall Stone, and Tribble Stone Company Update 3/28/24: It may not look like much yet, but this is where public art starts, the foundation is where art meets site and becomes a beacon to gather. You can already see the design coming together. The stainless-steel braces, electrical conduit and concrete footing/pad are in and things are starting to taking shape in Little Rock. We're planning our trip to install the columns after this has properly cured! #GettingCloser Update 10/18/2023: We’ve loaded up this morning and have #SculptureOnTheMove to #LittleRock AR. This truck has 5 sculptures, 2 bases, and a bunch of stainless steel structures for installation and footings. But wait, there’s more; we’ll have another two truck loads lined up for one of these projects. Special thanks to Denny Haskew, Mark Leichliter, Art Castings of Colorado, and Shippers' Supply Custom Pack for help with creating, packing and loading; and Landstar Trucking for getting our artwork to its new home where Sculpture at the River Market will receive it and Little Rock Parks & Recreation will help us install. #SculptureIsATeamSport
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Update 2/28/2024: Bronze Services Foundry has done a phenomenal job finishing the bronze, Gary Alsum's sculptures are ready for patina and we're one step closer to seeing these placed at the City of Cerritos, California this summer.
![]() Update 8/23/2023: Nothing to lose your head about, it’s just moving day to the mold-maker. The high temps made us wait a few extra days to transport the clay. Gary Alsum's Special Enforcement Bureau sculpture for our Tribute to Public Safety Plaza has entered the next stage of creating the master mold, then will continue on with the lost-wax process of cast bronze. ![]() Update 8/4/2023: Gary Alsum's Special Enforcement Bureau sculpture for our Tribute to Public Safety Plaza has been completed in clay and approved by the city. It's on it's next stage of creating the master mold, then will continue on with the lost-wax process of cast bronze. The commissioners were particularly pleased by the amount of detail Gary has captured in the uniforms and characteristics of the officers. The K9 depicted is "Jack" a revered Belgian Malinois that was lost in the line of duty in 2022. "K9 Jack saved numerous lives and courageously protected members of the Bureau during countless tactical operations." -LA Sheriff Robert Luna Three of Gary's bronze monuments are part of a larger composition that our design team developed. The Tribute to First Responders plaza includes a Department Memorial and 9/11 Memorial and components that honor today's officers. We are always honored to be part of honoring first responders, and are really looking forward to seeing this project realized for the dedicated department members. Update 2/1/2023: The Female Officer sculpture has been poured into wax, ready to transform into bronze. She's already looking great! ![]() Update: 1/5/2023 Things are progressing on the Tribute to Public Safety project for the City of Cerritos. Gary Alsum's fire fighter casting is nearing completion at Bronze Services Foundry. Not to worry, he'll get that helmet on. Certain elements on the sculpture have been customized to match LA County badges and gear. Next comes patina on this one. ![]() Update 12/11/2022: We've completed the landscape plans with help from Diaz Landscape Architecture and site work will commence soon. As we designed, the overall 51-ft x 54-ft site will include: Three Bronze Monuments; 9/11 Memorial; Department Memorial. 7-ft x 16-ft Tribute Wall with engraving of Plaza Title, City Insignia, Department Badges and quotation; 4-ft x 12-ft East Wall with two engraved quotations; Concrete Plaza; Lights; Flag Pole, White Roses. Decompressed Granite area with Bosque of Trees. Update 11/7/2022: Gary Alsum has finished sculpting the Female Deputy Sheriff in clay. She's off to the foundry to begin the bronze casting process. ![]() Update 5/26/2022: The Hardscape Design Elements have been refined and the stone is ordered. Lettering will be etched into several tons of granite for this placement. ![]() 2/18/2022: You may not realize, but monumental placements start small. On this one, we went REAL SMALL. John created a model of the site with our proposed layouts for the city to choose from. We've just been approved on our design for the City of Cerritos' First Responders Plaza which will be located in front of the Sheriff's Department. Our design team is transforming the 2500 sq ft lawn into an artful gathering space that honors first responders. Three monumental bronze sculptures by NSG's Gary Alsum will be the focal point of our Tribute to Public Safety. Granite walls will be adorned by quotes and insignia. A memorial will be placed to pay tribute to the city's fallen officers. And a Bosque of Trees forms a nurturing space to house the new 9/11 memorial. The entire site becomes a piece of art. We are really pleased with the design and how this will enhance the community. We are looking forward to sharing the process here, stay tuned. ![]() #HappyNewYear Here is a look back at the public art placements we did in 2023. We are excited about installing many more next year, some already in progress. Click here to view the list of 550 significant sculpture statements we've placed to date. Thank you for appreciating art and supporting our team of artists. May 2024 bring you health, peace, and happiness. Update 9/22/2023: The City of Loveland has accepted the Guild's proposed donation from the Council of Catholic Women and a site has been selected. 'Trail of Forgiveness' by Denny Haskew will be placed in Spring 2024. The site is at the city's Police & Courts Building at 810 E. 10th Street. The Visual Arts Commission has expressed their gratitude for this generous donation to Loveland’s public art collection. The sculpture is meant to be open to interpretation by the viewer with the hope that it will convey a loving and spiritual message meaningful to all. "Grandmother’s sunrise prayer, as solid of a soul as can be found. See your road better now closed eyes and all. Know that all your enemies were really only teachers for you. We walk together now on this path called Forgiveness. We each have a trail of forgiveness to follow and this sculpture reminds me of mine." -DH
![]() One of the National Sculptors' Guild's Charter Members, Gary Alsum, was just featured in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine. The article highlights Gary's take on the commission process and some of the benefits of working as a team. As John Kinkade, NSG Director has always said "Sculpture is a Team Sport" and we love all the projects we've been able to place with Gary over the past 30 years. From the Artist Spotlight... "What is the most interesting thing you have sculpted and why? Most of my work in the past couple of decades has been in collaboration with individual collectors or municipal entities along with the National Sculptors’ Guild (NSG). Most of those works honor people from our past but some are intended to preserve favorite memories or activities. My favorite subjects are the figure in motion, but capturing likenesses is just as satisfying. All the commissions I am awarded are a special honor. I take the responsibility seriously with the goal of giving clients more than they expect. Working with the NSG allows me to do what I do best — create meaningful sculpture — while they handle the logistics of scheduling, engineering, transportation, landscaping that enhances the sculpture, installation etc. Not all my sculptures are large enough to require trucks and cranes and such, but when they do, the NSG is an invaluable asset. How do you describe success? I feel most successful when a client is moved to tears when they first see a finished sculpture. But occasionally I create more humorous depictions – dogs driving classic cars with reckless abandon. (How else would dogs drive?) Success then is when viewers burst out in laughter. It makes for a fun mix." Click here to see the full feature The National Sculptors’ Guild installed 18 public art placements in 2020, truly a triumph for the challenges we all faced in the year. We are excited to have several new projects set to install in 2021 that we will be sharing in the near future. Our 2020 public art placements are... (click titles to learn more) My Heart is in Your Hands, Jane DeDecker, Downey, CA Homeward/Monarch, Joe Norman, Downey, CA Mock Orange, Michael Warrick, Whittier, CA Time, Carol Gold, Bend, OR Between the Lines, Jane DeDecker, Loveland, CO Leaps and Bounds, Daniel Glanz, Brighton, CO Sweet Dreams & Grassland Trio, Daniel Glanz, Brighton, CO Mockingbird Tree, Michael Warrick, Southlake, TX On a Roll, Jack Hill, Downey, CA From a Different Perspective, Jane DeDecker, Downey, CA Infinite Dance, Carol Gold, Downey, CA Tree of Life, Clay Enoch, Downey, CA Burro Trio, Jane DeDecker, Southlake, TX Bamboo, Tim Cotterill (The Frogman), Joplin, MO Keeping the Ball Rolling, Jane DeDecker, Edmond, OK On a Roll, Jack Hill, Edmond, OK Rev. Pond, Denny Haskew, Shakopee, MN Tried and True, Gary Alsum, Edmond, OK We've now placed 530 public art monuments since 1992! Special thanks to all the people that helped make these placements happen, from fabrication to transport and installation, everyone pulled together in a time we had to stay apart.
#SculptureIsATeamSport #PublicArt #California #Texas #Missouri #Oklahoma #Minnesota #Oregon #Colorado #InstaArt #InstaGood #InstaLove #NSG #NationalSculptorsGuild #ArtistDriven #ClientMinded
![]() 10/5/2019: The National Sculptors' Guild has loaded up NSG Fellow Jane DeDecker’s “The Arkansas Nineteenth Amendment Memorial” bronze sculpture with its custom designed granite and stainless-steel base and are headed to Little Rock Arkansas... Fable is supervising the load. Stay tuned for pics of the installation. The sculpture celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, Granting Women the Right To Vote. Depicting notable activists Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Stanton Blatch, Alice Paul, and Ida B Wells. Jane customized the composition for the Arkansas placement, by including additional historic figures; two of the suffragettes who helped lead the movement in Arkansas. Josephine Miller Brown and Julia Burnell Babcock aka Bernie Babcock In 1919, Arkansas became the 12th state to approve the 19th Amendment. The Arkansas 19th Amendment Memorial will be dedicated October 10th at 11am in the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Plaza at Little Rock's Riverfront Park This 5-ft version (minus the two extra figures) is the Maquette "Stand" for DeDecker's Every Word We Utter 20+ft Monument proposed for placement in DC with bills currently being passed through the various points of legislature. So many more phenomenal women were involved in this movement than depicted here. We honor them all with gratitude for the steps they made for ours and future generations. #SusanBAnthony #ElizabethCadyStanton #SojournerTruth #HarrietStantonBlatch #AlicePaul #IdaBWells #NotableWomen #WomensRights #Vote #Historic #BraveWomen #FigurativeArt #SuffrageMovement #TheirMovementOurMonument
11/3/2019: The last several months have been filled with sculpting and casting for this project. #process. ![]() 6/20/2019: The Adam's County Arts Committee has approved our proposal for the second area for art at the new Riverdale Animal Shelter. Two sculptures by Daniel Glanz and the National Sculptors' Guild will be placed in the calming garden. In this quieter placement we have a mouse curled up next to a sleeping cat in this unlikely pairing as they take a break from the ‘race’. The bronze is placed on a large sandstone natural bench, inviting visitors to sit next to Sweet Dreams for a moment of respite. Finally, Grassland Trio again combines stainless steel with bronze, depicting a rabbit, lizard and bird united by tall grasses representing the natural beauty of the area, and a few of the other (maybe lesser known) pets that the shelter assists. ![]() 2/8/2019: Daniel Glanz and the National Sculptors' Guild are happy to announce our design for Adams County's new Riverdale Animal Shelter was accepted and will be realized in the coming year. We will post updates here as the sculpture evolves. Energetic and enthusiastically welcoming, this piece creates an immediate connection for the public with the shelter; becoming an iconic entrance piece for the Riverdale Animal Shelter. A dog leaps in the air to catch a frisbee. Across the entry one sees the young child that threw the frisbee. In-between, a cat sitting on the provided bench has it’s paw up in a futile attempt to intercept. The dog and cat will include sculpted details specific to Riverdale, including the names “River” and “Dale” inscribed on collars – reinforcing proper care of pets. The frisbee may include the Riverdale logo. The sculptures will be cast in bronze and scaled at life-size, the frisbee and abstract element that the dog attaches to will be fabricated stainless steel. Patina on the bronze will be warm-browns. The breeds of the cat and dog will be nondescript for universal appeal. The child will be sculpted gender neutral and racially ambiguous for optimum inclusiveness of all visitors to the Riverdale Animal Shelter. Utilizing the existing bench for the cat invites visitors to sit next to the sculpture and be part of the composition. The artwork provides multiple photo opportunities to capture happy adoption moments. The term 'Leaps and Bounds' is used to emphasize that someone or something is improving or increasing quickly and greatly... this absolutely rings true for the animals that are sheltered and adopted here. The sculpture demonstrates the health and vitality that comes from our connection with our pets. It also sets the tone for visitors to the shelter; as one enters the facility; they know this to be a place where animals thrive. Update 12/6/2018: The Legacy Project is our 500th Public Art Placement! More elements and finish work has been going in since placing the sculpture. We anticipate a great celebration once the plaza of The Foundry opens to the public. ![]() Update 11/20/2018: We were downtown completing the installation this afternoon. The bronze is in! "Reaching Our Goal" by Denny Haskew and the National Sculptors' Guild is the final element to go in of The Rotary Club of Thompson Valley's Legacy Project at The Foundry The Legacy Project is the National Sculptors’ Guild’s 500th Public Art Placement! We are so excited to be celebrating this moment in Loveland, Colorado where we've been headquartered since 1992. We have donated our portion of the project back to the placement to give back to the community that has supported us through the years. #FullCircle #ReachingOurGoal ![]() Update 11/16/2018: Today was a huge step in the installation of The Legacy Project. Over 68,000 lbs of Dakota sandstone was craned into the site and set by Denny Haskew and the National Sculptors' Guild. Next week the final stone and bronze element will be placed. The Rotary Club of Thompson Valley's "Legacy Project" will activate the plaza of The Foundry, a new development that is transforming Loveland's historic downtown. The installation includes "Reaching Our Goal" bronze sculpture by National Sculptors' Guild Charter Member Denny Haskew ![]() Update 11/14/2018: Our 500th Public Art Placement is going in this week! Stay tuned to our social media posts for updates. We're so excited that we're celebrating this moment in Loveland, CO where we've been headquartered since 1992. #FullCircle Pictured to the left is the top stone being drilled at Art Castings of Colorado where the bronze was cast. The bronze is cast and ready for patina. The other stone monoliths are being loaded to deliver to the site. The installation will take a couple of days of craning in 34 tons of stone. The bronze is scheduled to go in next Tuesday to finish it off. #ReachingOurGoal ![]() Update 10/15/2018: The metal has been poured, time to put the pieces back together. Pictured is artist Denny Haskew at Art Castings of Colorado where the bronze is being cast. #ReachingOurGoal ![]() Update 8/23/18: Appropriately so, the National Sculptors' Guild anticipates this placement, which we are contributing our share to, to be our 500th public art monumental placement. What better place for such a milestone than in our backyard. We are happy to share this pivotal moment with Lovelanders: Denny Haskew - NSG Charter Member The Rotary Club of Thompson Valley The Foundry - downtown Loveland's newest development Art Castings of Colorado - Foundry, since 1972 And all the other talented artists and subcontractors who make our creations come to life for the public to enjoy. #ReachingOurGoal
![]() Update 6/5/18: It may not look like much yet, but we have over 60,000 pounds of stone going into this art placement. Many of the sandstone monoliths will be etched with information about the successes of the Rotary Club of Thompson Valley. This image shows laying out templates in preparation of sandblasting the narrative into one of the stones. ![]() 5/15/2018: Columbine Gallery and the National Sculptors' Guild are pleased to team up with the Rotary Club of Thompson Valley on their "Legacy Project" in Loveland, Colorado. The Legacy Project celebrates the 30th Anniversary (2019) of the Rotary Club of Thompson Valley. The larger-than-life bronze sculpture depicts a woman helping a teenage boy surmount a stone precipice tying into the Rotary motto, "Service Above Self". Part of this service has been the club's support of Polio Plus, a major contributor to the eradication of Polio world-wide. "Reaching Our Goal" by NSG Fellow Denny Haskew will be placed in the plaza of The Foundry, a new development that is transforming Loveland's historic downtown, set to open Fall 2018. The art placement will coincide with the opening. The National Sculptors' Guild designed additional stone elements to activate the plaza and provide area's of recognition to donors and the club's efforts. We have contributed $50,000 plus design work to the project, our way of giving back to community for all the support we've received over the past 26 years. Haskew is a renowned figurative artist and a Charter Member of the National Sculptors' Guild. His work is in numerous prestigious collections including the Smithsonian Institution, DC; the Gilcrease Museum, OK; and the Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses of the University of Colorado. Denny Haskew currently resides in Loveland, Colorado where he is actively engaged in the art industry as a sculptor. He received his degree from the University of Utah, then served two years in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Having spent numerous years as a guide and ski instructor, Denny has learned to love the rivers and mountains of the western states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah. After moving to Loveland, a hub of successful working sculptors, he wasted no time in getting monumental sculpture experience through working with renowned sculptors including Fritz White and Kent Ullberg. Since 1987, Denny has created and placed dozens of monumental compositions; spanning the spectrum of the figurative genre.
![]() The City of Southlake's iconic shield is being created by NSG's Joe Norman. The clay was rushed off to the foundry so that a number of these shields will be ready for city buildings this Winter. The finished product will be cast Stainless Steel, and Joe's sculpted the shield in a couple sizes. #ArtfulLogos #MakeAStatement ![]()
Here is a video we just ran across by a student digesting and discussing NSG Fellow Jane DeDecker’s Harriet Tubman sculpture that we placed inLittle Rock in 2004, part of a series of sculptures that lead to the Clinton Presidential Center see more about our installation
Our sculpture placements continue to move and educate people. #PublicArt #FeedYourCreativeSpirit ![]() The National Sculptors 'Guild is pleased to announce our newest Affiliate member, Joe Norman. Joe graduated with a degree in Product Design from Stanford and worked with design consulting firms for a number of years before teaching middle school and customizing vintage motorcycles. For the past ten years he has been a full-time sculptor, focusing on handmade and site-specific works informed by the intersection of the natural and human-made environment. Joe was the Artist-In-Residence at Great Basin National Park and frequently speaks on art and its role in social justice. His work is in permanent public and private collections across the United States. He currently maintains his studio at Artworks Loveland. We're excited by Joe Norman's diverse exploration of material and imaginative approach to varied subject matter. From word play, to morphing silhouettes; magnified microcosms to figurative renderings from reclaimed bicycle parts, Joe fills the public space with a bit more wonder through sophisticated form. His work makes interaction unavoidable and we're pleased to add him to our team.
Smaller works are also available for the home collector. You'll start seeing Joe's sculpture at Columbine Gallery and in the National Sculptors' Guild sculpture garden by mid-October, and can start ordering online now.... click here to shop ![]() We are pleased to announce that the National Sculptors' Guild Fellows voted to Promote Associate Darrell Davis as an Elected Fellow. The board of directors nominated Davis' promotion. "We have found great success with Darrell including our latest contract with the Little Rock Zoo for a pride of lions cast in aluminum for the roundabout leading to the zoo to be completed in 2018. Darrell’s accolades continue to accumulate and we enjoy working with Darrell on large-scale projects. He supports and promotes other NSG members on a regular basis and we feel confident that he will continue to be an outstanding NSG representative." -Alyson Kinkade ![]() The National Sculptors' Guild has worked with the City of Brighton to place a number of bronze sculptures by Fellow Jane DeDecker at the entrance of the Recreation Center on 11th Avenue, Brighton, Colorado. The pieces each speak to discovery and play, depicting youth actively interacting with nature. Jane states... “My work is a cumulative process made of my life experiences and my desire to sculpt the human form. Each piece tells a story of how it was created - every stroke supporting the narrative.” Part of Jane’s artistic genius is her ability to select a moment to which all of us can relate on a personal level. These moments span all generations, depicting a universally recognized scene. This scene may speak of the love between parent and child, the freedom of a child’s imagination or the simple dignity of everyday tasks. Each is a timeless expression of the human experience, causing us to reflect and evaluate the importance of love, relationships and achievement. - John Kinkade, Executive Director of the National Sculptors' Guild NSG Public Art Placement #213 Galileo, Lords of the Forest, Ears of Joy and Leaves of Grass ![]() Courage to Lead by Denny Haskew and the National Sculptors' Guild was placed in front of Brighton, Colorado's City Hall. This one and a quarter life-size bronze sculpture was introduced in May of 1993 and won the Western Regional Show, Cheyenne, WY, the People’s Choice Award at Hillside Sculpture Invitational, and the Sculpture Award at the Red Earth Invitational Art Show. In the creation of this artwork, Denny drew upon historical research after being told stories about the Society of the Sacred Arrow. This Society existed among many of the Plains Indian tribes. Among other tribes, the Crow, the Arapaho and the Cheyenne were known to perform the Sacred Arrow Ceremony. The night prior to a raiding party, war party or some equally important event, the tribe would gather around the pow wow circle with much chanting and singing. The members of the Society of the Sacred Arrow would rush out into the center of the ring and collectively shoot arrows straight into the sky. Then with a show of bravery and courage, they would stand still as the falling shafts came back to earth. Each member was unafraid because of his strong belief in his spiritual protection. Their courage and conviction showed that their cause was right and that God was with them. This was a great morale boost to the tribe members in attaining success on the next day’s venture. This display of courage by the members of the Sacred Arrow Society often placed them in the role as leaders of other warriors.It is placed upon Dakota Sandstone taken from the foothills. The sandstone used was created 70 million years ago. Dakota Sandstone occasionally appears on the plains in jutting outcroppings and bluffs. Plain’s Native Americans used it for structural purposes in religious dwellings. The design team of NSG Fellow Haskew and JK Designs Principal Kinkade has stacked 20 tons of this stone to create the suggestion of such an outcropping. The vertical stone holds a bronze plaque of explanation and commemoration. Denny Haskew is a Charter Member of the National Sculptors' Guild and one of Loveland's best known artists with his sculptures installed throughout the United States including Alaska, California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, South Dakota, New York, Michigan, Virginia, South Carolina, Illinois and Kentucky. For many years, Haskew maintains a Loveland home-based studio.
Haskew was born in Aurora and went to junior high and high school in Salt Lake City, Utah. He completed a bachelor's degree in business administration at the University of Utah. Haskew spent much of his early career as a ski instructor at Park City, Utah and was involved in developing ski touring trails in Idaho. He was also a white water river guide in the Grand Canyon. He did carpentry work and made furniture on the side.The talent and desire to become an artist goes back to Haskew's childhood when he carved decoys out of firewood for his father. He then tried his hand at carving shore birds. His parents moved to Loveland, and Haskew became interested in meeting one of the local artists. His introduction to Fritz White changed his life, and he knew he wanted a career as an artist. He asked White how to get started, and White said, "The old fashion way -- as an apprentice." Haskew quickly asked if he could become White's apprentice and to that, White responded, "I was afraid you would say that." White was a taskmaster often tearing apart what Haskew had started. However despite critical setbacks, Haskew sold his first piece while working for White. After a year, Haskew set up his own studio. With just four pieces, he was accepted into "Sculpture in the Park" held annually in the Benson Park Sculpture Garden. “I begin with the human figure. Initially, I have no intention of creating an ‘Indian image’, but sometimes the statement comes out stronger that way. Sometimes the opposite is true. Recently, I started to sculpt a Native figure, but it became something else. We’re all human beings inside. We’re all a mixture and will continue to mix until it no longer matters what type of figure is used as long as it makes the strongest statement possible.” see more of Haskew's work here. NSG Public Art Placement #133 |
JK Design/NSGJK Designs’ Principal, John Kinkade, founded the National Sculptors’ Guild in 1992 with a handful of sculptors who wished to find thoughtful public applications for their work. Representation has since grown to over 20 contracted sculptors and painters; plus an extended network of 200+ artists that our design team works with on a regular basis to meet each project's unique needs. click here for a list of our over 500 large-scale placements. Archives
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