Loveland has been described as "a sweetheart city which has a love affair with the arts". Art seems to be part of the city's heritage. Over the years, the Loveland High Plains Arts Council has been the major source of energy behind the evolution of the visual arts, particularly sculpture in Loveland.

In 1984, a group of five Loveland sculptors, George Lundeen, Dan Ostermiller, George Walbye, Fritz White, and Hollis Williford, together with representatives of the City of Loveland, the Chamber of Commerce, and a few interested citizens, fostered the idea of a sculpture show in Benson Park. They envisioned the outdoor exhibition and sale as a unique environment for sculptors from across the country to showcase their work as well as a way to generate funding for a sculpture garden. The City of Loveland designated Benson Park as the site for the sculpture garden, and in 1985, it became a reality.

The first annual Sculpture in the Park show and sale was held in 1984, with fifty local artists participating. Two thousand people attended the show and purchased $50,000 worth of sculpture. With the addition of new participating artists each year, the show has grown from a primarily representational western bronze exhibit into a more diversified display of sculpture. Over the years, Sculpture in the Park has expanded its diversity of work to include representational, stylized, and abstract sculpture, a variety of mediums including bronze, stone, wood, ceramic, glass, metal, and mixed media. Over one thousand different artists have participated in the show. Sculpture in the Park is now the largest outdoor juried sculpture show in the country with annual sales over $1 million. 

In 2023, the 39th annual Sculpture in the Park show and sale will feature approximately 160 artists. The show includes a "Take Home a Piece of the Park" display featuring maquette-sized editions of some of the sculpture pieces on permanent display in Benson Sculpture Garden. These pieces are available for sale throughout the show and year-round. We also feature a Silent Auction tent throughout the weekend with pieces available to bid on from many of our artists.