Siouxland Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 6 - version 2

Inspire
Lessons learned from stories in our community.
The Roth Fountain : The fountain was designed and built by Steve Blenderman and his best friend and business partner,
Kirk Hoefling. They utilized the original terracotta sculptures from the 1915 Livestock Exchange Building and created a
landmark that pays tribute to Sioux City’s unique history. It is located on the Promenade in downtown Sioux City, and was
paid for by the Roth Family, who own Beef Products, Inc.
An Artist’s Work, A Legacy of Truth
By, Amy Buster
When you hear Sioux City artist Steve
Blenderman’s name, you may instantly think of
the beautiful Roth Fountain on the Promenade
in Sioux City. Steve has a passion for history and
architecture; however, his passion and knowledge for
the arts goes much deeper. He also draws and paints.
“I’ve been very lucky in my life, and always been a fairly
prolific artist,” said Blenderman.
He attributes that fact to a number of things.
“I have always had an innate understanding since
childhood that I was an artist. I was very lucky. Not only
did my parents love me, but they also believed in me
as an artist despite the odds that success in that career
would remain elusive. There was also a nun who believed
in me as an artist. When I was about 10 years old, she
gave me private art lessons after school, and taught me
how to paint. She had become a life-long friend, and her
belief in me was essential for me to believe in myself,”
shared Blenderman.
Another life changing moment took place after
Blenderman’s senior year of high school. It was 1969; he
studied abroad in Germany for 14 months.
Voltaire’s Candid: The man in the painting is a young
man named Najib. Steve met Najib when he was visiting
Amsterdam. Najib is originally from Morocco. He, Najib,
was in search of ‘The Truth.’