Caponi Art Park's Founder Celebrates His 90th Birthday in Style

If anyone left Saturday without a big smile and an even bigger hug from Tony Caponi, they weren't trying very hard.

Caponi, the founder and artistic director of Caponi Art Park and Learning Center in Eagan, celebrated his 90th birthday Saturday. Joining him were more than 100 of his friends, some old and some brand new.

Visitors roamed all over Caponi Art Park, soaking up the art and the sunny weather, listening to the music, eating cake and ice cream, playing games and talking with friends. A formal presentation honoring Caponi and his contributions to the community followed.

Patch had a brief interview with Toni Caponi after the ceremonies were done.

Eagan Patch: This was quite a day for you.

Tony Caponi: Ya, it was a big day. They predicted rain and we got sunshine so we proceeded on everything. I have a lot of friends and I’m glad they were not disappointed. They seemed to have a good time. I don’t know how they did it ... parking all those cars.

Eagan Patch: How do you feel after today?

Caponi: After today? I don’t know the answer to that, because I feel right now like I feel all the time. After today I’ll just go on as I’ve been going, trying to keep busy. I live here and I enjoy the park. People think I work hard. Actually I play at it very hard.

Eagan Patch: How did you first get the idea to do this?

Caponi: Where I come from in Italy we had hardly any trees. We lacked that. So when I got this place I thought it was really rich with all these oak trees. The thing that we did not have that I was accustomed to was rocks. So I brought them in myself, one at a time. Those walls that you see are all rocks I brought in. I got them from farmers who thought I was eccentric for picking up rocks when they were trying to get rid of them. But this was before I made the retaining wall popular. Now all of Eagan is full of rocks in imitation of my walls. And now if I want rocks I have to buy them. I spoil that game for myself.

Eagan Patch: Where are you from originally?

Caponi: Northeast of Rome, where the boot of Italy is, where the cup is, where the muscles are. The town is Pretare, which means the place of rocks.

Eagan Patch: You came over in what year?

Caponi: In 1936, I was 15-years-old. I was old enough to stay Italian, young enough to become an American.

Eagan Patch: How did you get into sculpting?

Caponi: Where I came from all the young boys played with clay, but we didn’t call it art, it was a normal thing to do, just a way of passing time. We made sculptures and thinking about art. It was a normal way of playing with making things. I think all children do that quite naturally. It’s too bad we have to refer to it as art all the time, because I think to encourage that creativity is something that applies to, is transferable to other disciplines, not just in art. So I talk about creativity rather than art. Art is something that happens on rare occasions, but creativity applies all the time and includes everything we do.

Eagan Patch: Do you think most of your sculptures are art or creativity?

Caponi: Some sculptures that I make for my own satisfaction. Those I will not sell. When I’ve taken money, usually I’m commissioned. I know beforehand what I was doing for, either a gallery or a park or a church.

Eagan Patch: What’s your favorite sculpture in the park?

Caponi: Oh, that’s an unfair question, because when I’m working with something, I’m making love to one thing. Some people can love more than one thing at a time. But to really feel intense you have to love one thing very intensely, and that’s the best thing at that time. It’s like your children. Once you have children you cannot say this is better than the other. They’re my children. They’re all my children. 

For more information on Caponi Art Park Learning Center call 651-454-9412 or see with web site www.caponiarpark.com