Howard Wheatley Allen (1941-2019)

This bronze sculpture of snow goose in flight, by Howard Whetley Allen, is supported by bronze base that looks like a natural branch. In California, the snow goose is one of the few species that we can see in numbers reminiscent of historic flocks before the advent of Gold Rush hunters.

Wheatley Allen and his family were part of the Bolinas Summer Colony and owned a home in Stinson Beach. He grew up in Marin County, where his father Howard Allen established the premier real estate company of the county. Inspired by the abundant wildlife around him, Allen began sculpting at age six when he carved a wooden robin with his Boy Scout Knife, and he continued to focus on birds throughout his career. His family of several generations of artists included his brother, well-known sculptor Peter Allen of Stinson Beach.

Wheatley Allen achieved international fame and honors through his art. His bronze sculptures have been presented to world leaders, including the Emperor of Japan, King Hussein I of Jordan, and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel. They have also served as gifts to, or on behalf of, three United States presidents, and Wheatley Allen was an honored guest at the White House several times. An edition of this sculpture, Flying Snow Goose, was presented to Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev as a gift from U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz. President Gorbachev recognized the symbolism of the bird that migrates between both nations, regardless of politics or borders.