Wild Imaginings
Outside the Carroll County Public Library in Westminster, Maryland, stands a life-sized bronze sculpture called Wild Imaginings. Created by local artist Bart Walter, it features a majestic lion sitting calmly with a young boy reclining at its base, completely absorbed in his book.
One quiet morning, I spent time photographing this sculpture. I captured two sets of images. The first focuses on the boy’s face and the book he is reading, showing his peaceful concentration and the small details of the sculpture’s form. The second set focuses on the lion’s head and mane, capturing the fine details of its strength and the sense of quiet watchfulness it brings to the sculpture.
Learning about the artist who created this piece gave me a deeper appreciation for his work. Bart Walter, who grew up in Baltimore, knows how books can transport us. As a child, he became a mental traveler through reading, finding freedom beyond the city streets. That understanding shapes this sculpture. The lion, powerful yet calm, sits nearly eight feet above the ground on a polished granite pedestal. The boy lies at its feet, showing how stories and imagination can carry us anywhere and make us feel protected and brave.
Installed in 2010 as part of the library’s renovation for its 30th anniversary, this sculpture was Walter’s way of giving back to his community. It continues a tradition of lions guarding libraries, like those outside the New York Public Library, but with its own touch. Here, the lion watches over a boy deep in his book, reminding us how reading can open our minds and expand our world.
Every time I see this statue, I think about the journeys we take when we read. Stories can lift us out of ourselves for a while and leave us seeing the world differently. Within the pages of a book are seeds of inspiration and creativity, waiting to take root in our minds and grow into something uniquely our own. Looking at these images, I wonder who this boy becomes in the pages before him, and who we become in our own stories.
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Technical Notes:
These images were captured using a Canon DSLR with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 IS lens. The aperture was set to f/5.6. The photos were processed in Lightroom to enhance clarity, sharpness, and contrast, with slight vignetting applied to draw focus to each subject. Frame ratio is 3:2.
