Who We Are

The Fantasy Fountain and the Peace Fountain were created by Greg Wyatt in 1980 when he entered a sculpture competition to create a model for the 96th Street and Central Park Playground at Central Park, New York. The model was displayed at the Playground for two months. Having won the competition it was exhibited at the Heavenly Rest Episcopal Church on Fifth Avenue and in 1981 loaned for 30 years to The Gramercy Park. Among the attendees at the unveiling was The Very Reverend James Parks Morton of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine who invited Wyatt to bring his art and ideas to the Cathedral where they would be welcome.

In 1982 Dean Morton named Greg Wyatt sculptor-in-residence and commissioned him to create a monument commemorating the 200th anniversary of the New York Episcopal Diocese. Wyatt was also provided with a studio below the crypt of St. James at The Cathedral, joining six other artists-in-residence. In 1983 Dean Morton guided the imagery of the monument of the universal theme of Good-overcoming-Evil. On May 18th 1985 Peace Fountain and The Animals of Freedom sculpted by children were unveiled in a city-wide ceremony.

A companion sculpture education program for high school students was started in 1984 in the Cathedral sculpture studio. The students were given instruction in drawing and sculpting pro bono. Part of the scholarship was being exposed to a professional sculptor’s studio to learn the creative and technical aspects of the arts practice. This program continued for 20 years. Concurrently, the Cathedral Sculpture Studio produced and gifted to the New York-metro high schools and colleges’ art departments one-third scale of the Houdon human anatomy plaster casts to further and broaden the sculpture education of emerging, younger artists.

Under the guidance of Dean Morton a children’s sculpture garden was created as a five-year program inviting K-12 students in the New York-metro area. Each year 24 models were selected by an independent jury and bronze casted and permanently placed on a bronze ring circling Peace Fountain.

In 1984 the Fantasy Fountain Fund, Inc. was incorporated as a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) to award scholarships to art students and aspiring artists. The vision and the mission of the Fund remains unchanged.

Since its incorporation the Fund is proud to have enabled over 1,000 art students and emerging artists with art education and visibility by awarding scholarships. We are proud to have enabled arts education and advancement and believe we have set a precedent for the next generations to continue and amplify our vision.