This artwork is in the garden representing Russia in the International Peace Gardens.

The garden was dedicated in September 1987. In October the garden was visited by Russian officials and two trees indigenous to their country were planted in their honor. In 1991 the sculpture Peace Cradle, by Utah artist Dennis Smith, was erected in memory of Mr. Lowell Turner, the leading Utah proponent of better Soviet-U.S. relations. In 1989, Turner helped establish the Soviet city of Chernovtsy – in the Ukraine – as Salt Lake’s sister city.

“Dennis Smith is as much a philosopher as he is an artist. His work is a window into who he is and his views on life. His impressionistic style captures his exuberance for life and embodies his passion for transcendence—expressed through the spontaneity of children, reflections of the past, and hopes for the future. At the core of Dennis’ work is the spirit of the human soul. We often see this represented through the innocence of childhood. To Dennis, the child is a metaphor for life. Children’s lives, as they explore the world around them, parallel our lives as adults as we discover our identity in this universe. Each piece by Dennis Smith captures this spirit, still vibrant and alive, frozen in the moment of discovery.” Courtesy of artist’s website.