COLDWATER, MI — A new dandelion sculpture stands outside Coldwater’s Brown Municipal Building and instantly became one of downtown’s most eye-catching landmarks after arriving last week.
Fremont, Indiana metal sculptor Greg Summers offered the towering seven-foot-tall piece as part of the city’s year-long leased sculpture program.
Summers, a retired 30-year Fremont schools industrial arts teacher, has spent about 20 years turning scrap metal into public art.
The dandelion is made almost entirely from repurposed library shelving.
“The top of the dandelion is made of little metal brackets that separate different books,” Summers explained in an interview. “The leaves of the dandelion are made from the shelving itself.”
Summers began his career sculpting fish — often hammered out in front of students as classroom demonstrations — before transitioning into large outdoor pieces that cities can lease for display.
Summers said he looks for communities that lease art where his work will fit the local character.
“I look at the city websites, see where they’re located, what their focus is,” he said. “You can apply with two or three or four sculptures, and then hopefully one of those they’ll pick.”
Coldwater chose the dandelion, which now stands within view of the City Council chambers.
“It’s always nice to get a piece selected and get it put out in the public,” Summers said. “As an artist, that’s kind of your goal… to have people see it and like it.”
At the end of next June, the piece will go up for sale. He’s not sure of the price. He’s paid $1,500 for the year’s lease.
Summers does them for other cities. A fish sculpture is displayed near the city center circle mound in downtown Angola, Indiana.
The first downtown Coldwater sculpture approved and installed this year was an 11-and-a-half-foot-tall giraffe designed by Goshen, Indiana, artist Sunday Mahaja, entitled “The Wanderer.”
On a one-year lease of $3,000, it is located between the benches across the street from the Tibbits Opera House.
Main Street Director Kristen Johnson said they are waiting for a third sculpture, a caterpillar by Cole Stiemsma of Coldwater.
That sculpture will replace the turtle by the downtown Branch District Library, which the Downtown Development Authority will buy and relocate.
Contact Don Reid, dReid@USATodayCo.Com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: A seven-foot dandelion stands outside Coldwater’s city hall
Reporting by Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
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By Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter | USA TODAY Network
