![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Chris-Navarro-snow-fence-3-12.28.25.jpg\")
Chris Navarro\u2019s concept for his art project using a wind turbine blade involves turning the blade pieces into a mural. On one side will be wild horses running. (Courtesy\u00a0Chris Navarro)Wild Horse Mural<\/p>\nA pilot project involving a well-known artist, wind-turbine blade recycling company and Wyoming Rescue Mission intends to show the world one way to repurpose spent wind turbine blades.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s designed to be practical piece of environmental architecture as well as an abstract sculpture that carries a symbolic message of hope and literal message of \u201crenewal,\u201d said Casper artist Chris Navarro.<\/p>\n
Navarro, known for his public bronze sculptures across the West, said he and his collaborators recently installed 12 8-feet-tall segments of a former Vestas wind turbine blade on property that leads to the mission\u2019s ranch property in Esterbrook.<\/p>\n
He calls\u00a0it \u201cThe Wall of Renewal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started looking at the possibility of building a snow fence and a sculpture at the same time,\u201d Navarro said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what we came up with.\u201d<\/p>\n
The art part of the project will feature murals on the blade pieces.<\/p>\n
For ReviablEnergy President Jake Milne of Casper, the snow fence is the project he\u2019s been looking for to prove the viability of turning blades into snow fencing for the Wyoming Department of Transportation.<\/p>\n
Wyoming Rescue Mission Executive Director Brad Hopkins said it\u2019s about creating potential access to the mission\u2019s ranch property during the winter that will expand opportunities for mission guests.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He also said the project\u2019s goal to repurpose blades is a fitting symbol for his own organization\u2019s efforts to help people who feel they have no future find renewed hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is just such a parallel with our people coming out of homelessness at Wyoming Rescue Mission,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are so thankful for Chris and for Jake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hopkins said the mission has owned the ranch property for the past couple of years and has long-term goals of turning it into a facility where residents can learn ranch skills and train horses for sale.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Access to the ranch property is across another ranch\u2019s land and the owner, Tim Pexton, agreed to allow the snow fence project on his property, Hopkins said.<\/p>\n
Chris Navarro\u2019s concept for his art project using a wind turbine blade involves turning the blade pieces into a mural. On one side will be wild horses running. (Courtesy\u00a0Chris Navarro)Wild Horse Mural<\/p>\n
Navarro\u2019s concept for the art involves\u00a0a mural of running wild horses depicted on each of the deliberately spaced 12-blade parts on the public roadside of the sculpture and snow fence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the back, where mission ranch visitors will see the art, he plans to use colorful handprints of individual residents to spell a word that represents the mission\u2019s ranch objective as well as that of the recycling project.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo two handprints are the same, yet together they spell one word, \u2018Renewal,\u2019\u201d Navaro said. \u201cThis will be a living mural, and every year new handprints can be added.\u201d<\/p>\n
The artist said he plans to take a week next summer to coat and repaint the blades in preparation for the mural.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The following week will involve painting the mural itself. He hopes to involve several mission residents in the painting and art process.<\/p>\n
Milne, who formed his company after seeing a photo of wind turbine blades in a Casper landfill a few years ago, said he had been looking for a snow-fence project with parts of the recycled blades for the past few years.<\/p>\n
He operated a backhoe\u00a0borrowed to dig 4-foot holes to install the blade parts in the designed positions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The wind turbine company Vestas helped with the aerodynamics of the blade and its best possible installation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sculpture and snow fence\u00a0concept goes from wider parts of the blade to narrower. Milne said Vestas always has had a policy of requiring customers to turn the turbine blades back into them for recycling and willingly assisted with the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey cut it up for us and helped us with shipping,\u201d Milne said.<\/p>\n
The blade was cut into 19 sections, and a specific 12 sections were used for the sculpture\/snow fence to represent the 12-step process in overcoming addiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other parts of the blade may be used to make crosses on the top of a hill and possibly some additional snow fence in another area.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Chris-Navarro-snow-fence-1-12.28.25.jpg\")
The back of the sculpture and snow fence will have Wyoming Rescue Mission residents\u2019 colorful handprints spelling out the word \u201cRenewal.\u201d (Courtesy\u00a0Chris Navarro)Proving It Works<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a couple of other places that we should probably build some snow fence,\u201d Milne said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His initial check on the fence after some recent snow in the mountain area showed that\u00a0it seemed to be working.<\/p>\n
Milne said he had already taken the idea of repurposing turbine blades for snow fencing to WYDOT and the agency told him it needed proof that it works.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The state regularly needs to replace wooden snow fencing and costs are significant.<\/p>\n
With coating protection against ultraviolet sun rays, the wind turbine blades would last for many more years, Milne said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He sees uses of the repurposed blades potentially on beaches to stop sand erosion as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a whole bunch of repurposing ideas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Navarro, who also initially was moved to find ways to repurpose the blades as art after learning old blades were being landfilled, still is pursuing other art ideas he has proposed using them.<\/p>\n
He said he continues to work with Platte River Trails to find a spot where he can install a \u201cWind Cathedral\u201d sculpture he\u2019s designed using repurposed blades.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another idea is an art installation called \u201cWindhenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the \u201cThe Wall of Renewal,\u201d he is seeking grant money to help cover the cost of the coating and paint that will be needed to complete it next summer.<\/p>\n
Navarro believes that the efforts at the mission\u2019s ranch setting and in his sculpture\/snow fence will show that renewal \u201cisn\u2019t a moment, it\u2019s a movement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause what\u2019s been cast aside can stand again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Contact Dale Killingbeck at dale@cowboystatedaily.com<\/p>\n
![\"Parts](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/snow-fence-j-8-2-12.28.25.jpg\")
Parts of a wind turbine blade had been installed off of Esterbrook Road south of Douglas as part of a sculpture and snow fence project by Casper artist Chris Navarro is calling \u201cThe Wall of Renewal.\u201d (Courtesy\u00a0Chris Navarro)<\/p>\n