Aerial Landscape

This significant monumantal work by former visiting professor Rolf Westphal, was removed from the campus for repairs in the late 2000's. It was relegated to an indignant exterior storage space for years with no specific timeline for restoration. Conversations between our then Vice-Presdient Rob Neilson and incoming LU President Berstein prompted action, making this restoration a priority.

Much of the credit goes to the Boldt Company as well as Laurentian Staff Jake Woodford and Beth Zinsli who lead the restoration process and saw it through to the sculpture’s rededication in September of 2014. It is a great success story, yet a cautionary tale about keeping tabs on our public art assets and maintaining them for the enjoyment of the community and viewing public.

Metamorphosis

ON July 6 of 2020, Metamorphosis reappeared, though not where we last saw it over a decade ago. Over time, it became obvious that the redivided Houdini Plaza was never meant to accommodate the sculpture’s return, nor did the City have a plan to relocate it when they unceremoniously removed Meta in 2010.

In 2013, Sculpture Valley presented the Park and Recreation Department with a range of options for re-sting the sculpture somewhere along the Fox River. Sculpture Valley contended that, whenever possible, permanent monumental sculpture should remain in its original location. When this option is not feasible, great care should be taken to chose a new site with relevance to and ideally with the prominence of the original site.

For nearly a decade while the sculpture sat in exposed storage, discussions continued around a possible relocation site near the Houdini “near-drowning” maker located by the Vulcan Power Station replica on S. Lawe Street. In the process of designing the new pedestrian trestle crossing from Eagle Point to the Vulcan site, an opportunity presented to the City to additionally fund the relocation and installation of Metamorphosis near the west bridge landing.

Wait long enough and good things happen…