Sculpture Dedication at the Murphy Center for Hope 

Homeward Alliance will host a ceremony at the Murphy Center for Hope garden on July  27th, dedicating a recently installed sculpture to former Murphy Center Director Kim Larsen. The sculpture, Out with the Kids, was generously donated by Denver-based artist Jerry Severns. 

Staff at Homeward Alliance were grateful to accept the piece and elected to dedicate it in memory of  Kim, who passed away at age 40 on June 28th, 2018.  

In Kim’s last days, someone asked her how she wanted to be remembered. She replied that she wanted  to be remembered as someone who was often heard saying “How can I help you?” Helping others was  Kim’s legacy. She continues to be present through much of the Murphy Center, but especially in the  Community Garden that she so deeply loved. The sculpture is installed on the grounds of the Murphy  Center and joins a plethora of public art created by Murphy Center guests. 

It is Homeward Alliance’s hope that the sculpture serves as a place where people can come to not only remember Kim but also where Murphy Center guests can pay their respects to fellow community members who have passed on. 

Out with the Kids was formerly displayed in Old Town Fort Collins as part of Sculpture in the Square in  2022 and 2023. At the end of its exhibit period, Jerry Severns installed the piece at the Murphy Center for Hope. Several local companies helped with the installation, including Arkins Park Stone, who donated the sandstone plinth, and Mountain Vista Landscape Materials, who donated structural fill. 

Severns chose to donate the sculpture because of his belief that art should exist in public places and be accessible and available to all those who wish to enjoy it. Other works from the artist can be found at R  Gallery in Boulder and N Kollectiv in Denver. 

The dedication for the sculpture will take place on July 27th, 2023, at 12 PM and will coincide with the annual Murphy Center Community Picnic. The dedication will be attended by members of Kim’s family,  Homeward Alliance and Murphy Center employees and volunteers, and Murphy Center guests.  

The plaque with the dedication, which will be affixed to the sculpture’s plinth, reads, “In loving memory  of Kim Larsen and all those we loved and lost too soon.” 

About Homeward Alliance: Homeward Alliance is a Colorado-based non-profit founded in 2008. Homeward Alliance operates a continuum of programs and initiatives for families, adults, and seniors, such as basic needs, housing-focused case management, and employment services.