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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
New sculpture park opens on Mount Vernon trail
New art installation hopes to draw more out of the city
Oct. 21, 2023 5:30 am
MOUNT VERNON — A new sculpture park is shaping up a Mount Vernon trail near Nature Park in a more artistic direction.
The Mount Vernon Sculpture Trail, celebrated at an Oct. 14 ribbon cutting with four inaugural pieces of art, was borne out of an idea sparked by the derecho of 2020. Soon, the partnership between the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council (MVAAC) and the City of Mount Vernon’s Parks and Recreation hopes to draw a variety of benefits for those who live, work and pursue recreation in the city.
If you go
What: Four sculptures by two different artists at the Mount Vernon Sculpture Park.
Where: The trail that connects Nature Park, 730 First. St., from Seventh Street SE to First Street NE in Mount Vernon. The park is located three blocks east of downtown Mount Vernon’s stop light on First Street. Parking is available nearby at the First Street Community Center, 221 First St. NE.
When: Four sculptures are installed now with the hope of adding at least one or more a year going forward.
Cost: Free
How it happened
After the derecho hit Linn County three years ago, Marie DeVries, president of the MVAAC, thought about turning downed trees into chain saw sculptures, similar to the art that many property owners have taken on in Cedar Rapids and other cities.
The effort evolved into a park of metal sculptures today at the suggestion of Bob Campagna, chair of the Parks and Recreation Board. With experience forming a sculpture park in his previous home, he knew that wooden sculptures are not all they’re cracked up to be.
“I lived in Loveland, Colorado, and saw the existence, economic impact, and cultural draw of sculpture parks,” Campagna said. “I also saw the quickly rotting specter of wood sculptures.”
Thanks to significant contributions from the City of Mount Vernon and the MVAAC, plus other private donors, the partnership was able to seed $16,000 into four metal pieces of art. With time, they hope to procure additional funding to add at least one new piece each year, with a four-year plan currently in place.
The art
With feedback from a community survey, board members selected three-dimensional pieces that could please everyone’s taste — from abstracts to historic elements with moving parts and interactive, educational pieces.
The four pieces, arranged in a zigzag pattern to avoid the feeling of walking through a stiff lineup, each have their own perspective from a Dubuque and Colorado artist.
One sculpture from Loveland artist Joe Norman, titled “Girl/Hawk,” takes two ideas inspired by watching his 7-year-old daughter run around a field as red-tailed hawks circled above. Over the last several years, he’s pursued interest in creating public art that shows different images or words depending on the observer’s viewpoint.
“I believe that having two ideas coexist on a single piece is a useful metaphor for the ecosystem of ideas that public art empowers and protects,” Norman explained. “That experience emphasized to me that the lines I draw between ourselves and the world around us may not be so rigid as I once thought.”
Past works of art have combined other words he once thought were mutually exclusive, like “Story/Truth” and “Fear/Love.”
Three other sculptures titled “Dance Diversity” by Dubuque artist Gail Chavenelle provide a trio of interactions created in collaboration with diverse local creatives to proclaim something new with tall, vibrant elements she hopes will make visually captivating landmarks.
With negative background cuts from each dancer in the sculptures, the art embraces an eco-friendly design with no waste. In an era of social media ubiquity, the art also provide a place-making opportunity that encourages visitors to take photos to share online, generating more publicity for the trail that follows Hahn Creek.
“Dancy Diversity is a symbol of Mount Vernon’s inclusive welcome — celebrating diverse cultures and peoples,” Chavenelle said. “By installing it on the walking trail, it serves as a powerful symbol of inclusivity, promoting harmony and acceptance within the Mount Vernon community. Dance Diversity trio visually communicates the message that diversity is something to be embraced and celebrated.”
Their vision
For the city and the commissions, it’s a proud moment they hope will help change the face of Mount Vernon. With experience visiting a diverse number of sculpture parks and trails in nearby cities from Marion to Minneapolis, members hope it will help the city with a penchant for supporting art to level up its visual presence.
They see a multitude of measurable and immeasurable benefits, from economic boost and tourism increases to better exercise or recreation opportunities, enhanced upcoming bike trail connections and art community support.
“Everyone says this is an arts community, but this is a visible sign we’re an arts community,” Campagna said. “Bit by bit, we’re trying to add more visible public art in the downtown area of Mount Vernon. Over the years, I’ve found that Mount Vernon is a town people like to visit. This just gives them one more reason.”
DeVries said the vision for future growth includes all types of art — and hasn’t completely ruled out chain saw art. As other cities and rural towns embrace art for their power to help round out and further develop a state facing depopulation trends, the retired urban planner said it places Mount Vernon level with its peers.
“We have a lot of festivals here that draw people from surrounding communities. This will just add to that sense that there’s something going on in Mount Vernon,” DeVries said.
Comments: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com
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