THE GATHERING:

Of Time, of Land, of Many Hands

East Leach Park Spencer, Iowa
Iowa's project for

Artists & Communities: America Creates for the Millennium

Design Statement

By Millennium Artists Nina Smoot-Cain and John Pitman Weber

The Site

The artwork is sited where the river and main axis road meet, implying the two forces of natural landscape and human effort, the land and meandering river crossed by the town grid. Additionally, this site is at the entrance to Spencer's historic downtown and in East Leach Park, the principal outdoor recreation and gathering place. This site allows pedestrian as well as drive-by traffic to view the artwork.

The Structure

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The curvilinear three-sided walls symbolize the joining of the Little Sioux and the Ocheyedan rivers.
The columns, like trees, join sky and earth, symbolizing spiritual aspiration.
The circular plaza joins Grand Avenue to East Leach Park's green space and unite these two elements.
The top of the wall structure and columns slope at a 25 degree angle revealing this surface to the viewer and adding a more gentle and elegant treatment of the overall structure.
The base of the wall and columns have a one-inch reveal allowing the mosaic elements to have a shadow line at eight to twelve inches above ground level.
The top, base, and corners of the wall have the same color treatment - pale red oxide - chosen for color harmony with wall and column design elements.

The Wall Mosaic

The South Wall:

The Story of the Land - from Native agriculture to contemporary technology includes the following elements:

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The wall begins with corn, beans and squash - known as the 'three sisters' of Native agriculture. The three were always planted together as shown in the mosaic. This section frames the history of the settlement.
The Little Sioux and Ocheyedan move horizontally across the wall. Behind the rivers and extending across the wall, the quilt pattern of land in square-mile sections as seen from the air.
Between the rivers, a landscape scene of 19th and early 20th century farming: the farmer hoeing in a field of emergent corn - behind him a white farm house, red barn complete with hayloft and opened door, and a blue silo.
Below the Ocheyedan, the plow that broke the prairie sod, as seen in the Parker Historical Society collection, with a turned up furrow.
Above the Little Sioux an early church and a prairie schoolhouse stand in Iowa's wind.
At the center top a farm woman pins up the wash, including the family quilt with its windmill pattern and men's overalls. This scene underlines the central role of women in the family farm economy.
Centered below, a young 4-H child shows off his prize-winning pig.
The spirit of cooperation is symbolized by three figures raising a massive beam, as in a barn raising, two pushing on poles, one hauling on a rope.
The framed tractor is shown as the workhorse of 20th century farming.
The grain train, hauled by a blue locomotive, and two styles of grain elevators.
The wind turbine electric generators southwest of Peterson, Iowa, which point toward the future sustainability of industry and agriculture, conclude this wall.

The North Wall:

Outdoor Recreation - East & West Leach Parks, The County fairgrounds, and the Lakes region.

From drawing

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Set in a palette of autumn tones, a child in a tire swing frames the left side of this wall. Behind him, the county fair grounds gate set with fall foliage, a parent and child fishing from a dock, kites, a golf green, and an airplane in the sky.
The swinging child leads into a set of four overlapping, interlocking scenes, used as if they were family snapshots which carry across the upper part of the wall in up and down steps leading to the framing images on the right. The snapshot images depict a child sledding, a gentleman in a wheel chair reading, a soccer goalie blocking a shot, and woman walking a dog. The action of the soccer goalie is emphasized as she is pictured jumping out in front of her frame and is inspired by activity in West Leach Park.
Below these scenes two girls play pattie-cake sitting cross-legged on a blanket. The blanket again bridges across to the older couple sitting together on a park bench. Above them and to the right a skate boarder previews the coming skate park. Behind him are scenes from the lakes region - a sailboat, and the Arnolds Park roller coaster and Ferris wheel.

The West Wall:

The Story of Spencer - from the Fire to Tomorrow.

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The contrasting images of a winter holiday at grandma"s - three generations gather at the ancestral home, and the fire of 1931, frame the left side of the West Wall. Additionally, a service photo, indicative of Spencer's patriotic sensibilities, and Dewey Readmore Books, an icon for literacy and education, are included establishing the demeanor of Spencer. A broom "sweeps debris under the rug!", while three horn players announce the future.
The central figure shapes a pot, a metaphor for "shaping the future," while a colorful group examine a map of Spencer. The group includes men and women, older and younger adults along with three children. The group embodies the concept of gathering everyone "at the table" to jointly share the planning Spencer's future.

The End Walls Mosaic

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Southwest:

This is a tribute to the Native American culture. The mythical thunderbird, the rare but real white buffalo, the salamander and the turtle are important symbols of the spiritual and everyday life of the indigenous tribes who lived in this area. The other designs were used to decorate their clothing, moccasins and dwellings.

East:

Designs from the early settlers (New England, Dutch, and Scandinavian) and traditional quilt squares. These also include designs based on textiles in the Parker Museum collection.
From the bottom: tulips (or poppies) the traditional log cabin quilt pattern, the flying geese pattern, Dresden plate, tulips, and rooster.
Some of these designs also appear in the Taidom, Chippewa, and Mexican traditions.

Northwest:

The Courthouse cupola, stained glass, and Art Deco designs from Clay County National Bank were used indicating present architectural elements. Also included is the area for the plaque inscribed with the project name and artists' information.

The Column Mosaic

The columns represent the two aspects of the land: natural wetland and prairie and in contrast - cropland



The South Column: Wetlands and Prairie At the bottom a meandering border of wild roses, designed to recall 19th century embroidery, lace, or beadwork. Above a canvasback duck among cattails and a prairie chicken peering from large foliage: a lady slipper, blue flag (wild iris), purple cone flower (Echinacea), prairie dock, and the yellow-headed black bird on the cattails complete the south column.


The North Column: Croplands Croplands of this region consisting of corn and beans. At the bottom a frieze of corn, a stylized row of beans, and above a field of corn, represented by three towering stalks, and flying above the cornfield - a goldfinch, the State bird of Iowa.

All designs copyrighted 2000 NSC and JPW

last updated February, 2002