Dandelions

Artist: Adam Kemp

Commissioned by: Oxford Realty

Installation: 2018

Medium: Recycled materials

Location: Campus Place

Description from the artist: The project started with a group workshop with new Americans through Summer for Performing Arts in a summer camp. We built some horses that stand outside Red River High School with leftover wood. The children wrote messages on the wood in twelve different languages. That wood was then transferred to a workshop Opp Construction created for its employees and their children. The culverts were sanded, and they were transported to the land made available by Mike Opp. After filling the culverts with sand and gravel, which involved hauling gravel in a five gallon bucket up a precariously placed ladder. The wooden part of the sculpture, all recycled wood, was put in position. I then worked with Bennet Brien to finish out the swirling rebar connectors. The piece was about many things, and I wanted to show what we could do when using our strength as a small town. Everything other than fasteners and welding work is recycled materials.