A nationally recognized outdoor artwork in Des Moines, Iowa will be removed from a park pond under a settlement announced Tuesday. The agreement ends a legal fight between artist Mary Miss, who created the work “Greenwood Pond: Double Site” in 1996, and the Des Moines Art Center, which argued it couldn’t afford needed repairs.
The art center will pay $900,000 to Miss, ending her efforts to block removal of the artwork. The agreement also stipulates that neither party can disparage each other. However, a leader from an organization that sought to preserve the work expressed disappointment at its pending removal.
Miss created the wooden walkway and shelter system, which encourages people to interact with nature, in a historic city park just west of downtown Des Moines. Despite being locally known for picnics and family photos, it was celebrated nationally as Miss’s career high point.
The artwork has needed periodic repairs due to Iowa’s harsh winters and summers. However, the art center informed Miss it would be removed because of the multi-million-dollar cost of repairing and maintaining the structures. Miss filed a lawsuit, arguing her contract required approval for such removal.
Miss expressed hope that the dispute will encourage tighter bonds between artists, communities, and cultural institutions. She will receive funding from The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s new Public Art Advocacy Fund to preserve landscape art.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/landscape-art-des-moines-pond-c4e5798830d73a7047388b393a8a28af