The Sukup Lakeside Sculpture Garden at the Clear Lake Arts Center has experienced two separate acts of vandalism this year. In April Being Liquid by Amelia Blue Gotera sustained significant damage. Then, in the early morning hours of July 30, another sculpture in the garden, Platonic Soulmate by Oliva Donel, was also vandalized.
Both sculptures were created by University of Northern Iowa students as part of the Public Art Incubator Program. This marks the second year the Clear Lake Arts Center has collaborated with the program to bring emerging public artists and contemporary sculpture to area communities.
While at first believed these incidents were thoughtless acts rather than intentional, the repeated damage is discouraging to the Center and has a lasting impact on their artists and surrounding communities.
In a release to the media, the Center posted, ” Public art is created to inspire, challenge, and connect people. When artwork is damaged, it is far more than a minor inconvenience. It discounts the hours, thought, craftsmanship, and vulnerability that artists invest in their work, while also diminishing the public spaces that foster
conversation, reflection, and community engagement.”
conversation, reflection, and community engagement.”
Being Liquid, constructed of aluminum and fiberglass by Amelia Blue Gotera, was created to “harness magic, honor identity, and create conversation.” The sculpture celebrates identity and the human experience, inviting viewers to consider how we take up space in the world and the stories we carry with us.
The Center’s press release stated that, “The recent damage to Platonic Soulmate is another reminder that public art is a shared community resource deserving of care and respect. Every sculpture in the Sukup Lakeside Sculpture Garden represents an artist’s vision and generosity in sharing their work with the public.”Center officials said that the financial cost of repairing these works is significant, but the emotional impact reaches much further. They wrote that these acts affect the artists, the Arts Center, and every community member and visitor who values access to art in public spaces.
The center and law enforcement are asking anyone with information regarding the vandalism that occurred in the early morning hours of July 30 to contact the Clear Lake Police Department (641) 357-2186.
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