Over the last serveral weeks, sculptures have been appearing every days as installation begins for the Pappajohn Sculpture Garden in the Western Gateway Park. I scoured the internet to find everything I could about this park to bring it all together in one place. Here’s what I found:

In February 2007 Des Moines Art Center Director Jeff  Fleming announced that Des Moines philanthropists John and Mary Pappajohn plan to give the Art Center a minimum of 16 major sculptures by internationally acclaimed contemporary artists. The Pappajohns are known worldwide and ARTnews magazine listed them as one of the top 200 art collectors in the world.

The collection of sculptures by artists Louise Bourgeois, Scott Burton, Deborah Butterfield, Anthony Caro, Tony Cragg, Willem deKooning, Mark di Suvero, Barry Flanagan, Ellsworth Kelly, Martin Puryear, Richard Serra, Joel Shapiro, Judith Shea, Tony Smith, and William Tucker will be the most significant donation of artwork to the Art Center in a single gift in the museum’s history.  According to art critics, the Pappajohns’ donation will likely bring Iowa renown as having one of the best public sculpture gardens in the world. In a new partnership formed with the city of Des Moines, the sculptures will be installed in the city’s Western Gateway Park in a permanent feature to be named The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park.

Here are some of the works that have all ready been installed as of today (May 29th, 2009):

Spider, 1997 – Louise Bourgeois – American, born France, 1911 – Bronze – 94 x 94 x 84 inches

Juno, 1989 – Deborah Butterfield – American, born 1949 – Cast bronze – 81 x 95 x 75 inches

Thinker on a Rock, 1997 – Barry Flanagan – British, born 1941 – Bronze – 131 ½ x 71 ½ x 101 ½ inches

In the Morning, ca. 1950s – Sir Anthony Caro – British, born 1924 – Bronze – 42 ½ x 33 x 24 inches

Post Balzac, 1990 – Judith Shea – American, born 1948 – Cast bronze and stone – 101 x 18 ¼ x 19 inches

Order, 1989 – Tony Cragg – British, born 1949 – Cast bronze, 2 elements – 64 x 120 x 78 inches

I’m not sure of the names or artist of these pieces since they were not on the original list.

And I believe this is where the Nomade will set when it returns.

Still to come:

Untitled (Eight-Part Seating/Café Table I) – Scott Burton – American, 1939-1989
Table: designed 1984/fabricated 1992 – Polished Absolute black granite – 28 x 22 x 22 inches
Chairs: designed 1985/fabricated 1989-90 – Polished Deer Island granite – 32 x 34 x 18 inches each

Reclining Figure, 1969-82 – Willem de Kooning – American, born Holland, 1904-1997 – Bronze – 67 x 130 x 96 inches

T8, 1985 – Mark di Suvero – American, born China, 1933 – Painted steel – 28’ 7” x 24’ x 37’

Untitled, 1986 – Ellsworth Kelly – American, born 1923 – Stainless steel – 96 x 96 x 84 inches

Decoy, 1990 – Martin Puryear – American, born 1941 – Cast iron – 40 ½ x 110 ½ x 109 ½ inches

Five Plate Pentagon, 1986 – Richard Serra – American, born 1939 – Steel – 60 x 112 x 112 inches

Untitled, 1985 – Joel Shapiro – American, born 1941 – Bronze – 90 ¼ x 89 ¾ x 52 inches

Marriage, 1961 – Tony Smith – American, 1912-1980 – Welded steel with black paint – 120 x 144 x 120 inches

We Lost, 1962 – Tony Smith – American, 1912-1980 – Steel painted black – 128 x 128 x 128 inches

Gymnast III, 1985 – William Tucker – British, born Egypt, 1935 – Bronze – 90 x 60 x 35 inches

The sculpture garden is on almost 4.5 acres between 13th Street and 15th Street and between Grand Avenue and Locust Street. DowntownDesMoines.com provides a overview of how the mark will be laid out.

From downtowndesmoines.com

closeAuthor: MulderDSM Name: Larry Bradshaw
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