Three unique sculptures, all created over 50 years ago by local artists, were generously donated for the sculpture garden. Save the Northfield Depot retained two of the sculptures, Tree and Wind Piece, for the garden and donated the larger piece, Flame, to the City of Northfield since it was best suited for the City sculpture pad at the corner of 3rd Street and Highway 3 as part of the City Arts Corridor.
Railroad-spike “Tree” – Nick Swearer, 1970
Nick Swearer, spent the latter years of his childhood in Northfield, was later a Carleton student, and has had a meritorious artistic career. One of his works, a giant iguana, sits in front of the Science Museum of Minnesota. Nick is currently a well-known sculptor whose studio/foundry is located in Connecticut. When repairing the sculpture, Swearer remarked that the spikes came from a large pile near the spot where it was to be installed and commented “The tree is coming home.” The sculpture was donated by the Mariea Guthrie family.
Nick Swearer on Building the Sculpture
I’m so happy the Guthrie’s found such a “fitting” site for Mariea’s sculpture. I had a nice conversation with Vicky Guthrie a few weeks back, and I suggested she look for a site that would keep it in Northfield. Things seem to have come together perfectly.
It was quite some time ago that I made Mariae’s “Tree.” The best I can remember it was 42 years ago; that would date it to 1970 when I was 14 years old. It was the third or fourth sculpture I had ever made and the first large sculpture at that date (under Mariea’s encouragement). It was playful piece created for an encouraging and mentoring friend.
I made it directly on site at her house, which was then out of town among cornfields. I’m told now that site is across from Three Links Cottages. Vicky told me that Mariea had it moved when she moved into town so it has been moved once already, and I don’t know if anything more was done to the concrete base at that time.
To the best of my recollection—and I’m looking at a picture of a very young me standing next to it in process—I dug a hole (I don’t know how deep, I’m not sure I understood frost heave at that age), made a simple wooden form, poured cement or concrete (again I’m not sure I knew the difference at that age), and then embedded spikes in the wet mix. The tree was then built from the embedded spikes.
I have always just called it the “Tree.” I don’t know if Mariea has another name for it. I was not sure it still existed until I spoke to Vicky. That it still exists may mean the base is fairly deep or has been reworked. In the photo, I’m looking at the top of the base, which is about 14 inches square. I doubt that I put any reinforcing rod in the cement.
Wind Piece – John Maakestad, 1967
“Wind Piece” (which rotates in the breeze) was created in the 1960s by John Maakestad, a long-time art professor at St. Olaf College. In 1976, Dixon Bond purchased the piece for his yard where it remained until his house was sold after his death in 2014. Judy, Jeff, and Doug Bond donated the sculpture in memory of Dixon and noted that the location of the piece (i.e., near the depot along the Arts Corridor) seemed appropriate given Dixon’s affinity for the arts and railroads; his father worked for the Soo Line, and Dixon often used the train for transportation as a Carleton student.
The Bollards Fountain
Four iron bollards from the 1886 2nd Street bridge were donated and incorporated as a water feature in the sculpture garden. The bollards originally served as part of the guard rail linked to the bridge at each corner and were cast in the local Machacek Iron Works. In 1973 when a new bridge was built, they were removed and stored by the City of Northfield. They were sold in the 1980s and then resold to Bob Jacobsen who tried unsuccessfully to donate the bollards to a public project and ended up storing them in a friend’s garage for over 10 years. Save the Northfield Depot donated the fourth bollard to the Northfield History Center.
Benches
Two benches with memorial plaques were installed on the sculpture garden plaza in memory of former board members, Lynn Vincent and Pat Allen.
