For anyone who has ever wanted a large steel sculpture of a big pink rabbit shaped like a hammer head, there happens to be one for sale.
Hungry Bunny, a popular sculpture that was created for the City of Nanaimo’s 2017 temporary public art program, will be removed from its location in Maffeo Sutton Park and homeless by the end of May, if someone doesn’t buy it first.
Dale (Dasch) Schulz, the Nanaimo-based artist, illustrator and designer who created Hungry Bunny, put the sculpture up for sale via a social media post Wednesday morning for the asking price of $33,399.
Schulz operates Daschstudio and Hungry Bunny is just one of his many projects spanning his 40-year career and was created to make a statement about Nanaimo’s feral rabbit problem. Schulz received a $4,000 honorarium through the City of Nanaimo’s temporary public art program, but spent $12,000 creating the piece.
Schulz said the city will be replacing the sculpture with another art piece.
“It was part of the temporary art program, so it would just be hopeful thinking, I guess, that they would keep him, but now I have to find a home for him,” Schulz said.
He said he has yet to approach institutions or other potential buyers. The sculpture is priced to cover his costs for production and to make a little profit to finance future projects.
“As most other artists are, I have big sculptural ideas and need to try to make a bit of money,” he said. “It’s always a tough thing to try to price a piece of artwork … I’ve asked that price, but if push comes to shove I’ll probably take less for it.”
Schulz said he is open to offers from local and international buyers, but hopes Hungry Bunny might end up staying in town.
“I thought VIU might be a good place for it, but not very many families would see it there and kids really seem to enjoy it,” he said.
As of mid-day Wednesday, Schulz hadn’t received any serious offers.
“But I have until the middle of May or so to find something, or else he’s going in my yard,” he said.
Schulz can be contacted at daschstudio@shaw.ca.
-with files from Rachel Stern/The News Bulletin
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