The unstable future of Greenwood's art
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The Des Moines Art Center plans to tear down the wooden boardwalk, pavilion and arches at Greenwood Park — and the artist behind them says it's "heartbreaking" the center isn't rebuilding the installations.
Driving the news: The pieces were part of "Greenwood Pond: Double Site," by artist Mary Miss.
- The piece is meant to let visitors explore the park's natural surroundings by going beyond just a typical sculpture.
- But the wood's structural integrity is a safety concern, according to the center.
State of play: Greenwood Pond: Double Site opened in 1996 and was partially repaired in 2015. The lifespan of the wood is estimated around 10-12 years.
- Despite the repair in 2015, "Iowa's environment has prevailed" and the art has continued to deteriorate, according to a letter by the art center and its board of trustees sent to Miss.
- The letter was shared by the center with Axios.
Zoom in: An engineering review of the structures in October 2023 showed dry rot had compromised the timber pieces, forcing the art center to close them off to visitors last year.
What they're saying: Remaking the installation is "prohibitively expensive" and the wood would inevitably need to be replaced again, leading to the decision to remove it, according to the letter.
- Repairs are estimated at $2.6 million, according to the center.
The other side: Miss says she was "shocked" by the art center's decision and thought they would try to raise funds or explore more ways to preserve her work.
- She believes the art center knew it regularly needed to maintain the piece after the 2015 repairs and was surprised they went into "disrepair" again.
Plus: The Cultural Landscape Foundation, an advocacy group, has designated the piece as "at-risk" and placed it on its list of land-based art that's threatened with demolition and lack of funding.
- The center's plans to tear down the work "undermines the Art Center's fundamental role as a responsible steward of our shared cultural legacy," according to a statement from Charles Birnbaum, president of the group.
The bottom line: Before her art is torn down, Miss says she wants the center to consider exploring other options.
- "It's just very sad to think that it would possibly disappear."