MASON CITY – In the wake of the assault on a beautiful perennial garden in Central Park by Robin Anderson, child volunteers with the Youth Task Force were in downtown Mason City Wednesday trying to salvage what was left.
“We lost a lot” of valued perennial flowers, said Kitty Clasing, who was directing the children as they swept, watered and raked in the vicinity of three large red gambling dice that Anderson bulldozed a spot for, in the garden.
“We’ve been tending this garden for years,” said Clasing, a well-known volunteer in the community. Clasing hopes that the garden can be repaired and put back the way it was.
After the volunteers were finished with the gardening, they headed to the Music Man Square for ice cream.
Video interview:
httpv://youtu.be/BG6mi-Zl-p0
With the issue of the dice in Central Park flower bed,Maybe when they started to talk about statue’s around uptown area,the Park Board should of had a little fore sight on the statue project and went too them and set their ground rules on where if any would be placed in park and not use the wait an see what happens attitude.They had too think this may happen at some time.I think we have alot more problems in this town too worry about.Because as everyone said this is everyone park,doesn’t belong too just one person or group.
Mr. Marquardt: Have you or anyone on your team approached Robin and asked for her side of this issue? She is being vilified by virtually everyone on this site, and I am curious if she has anything to say.
I say put the dice in the entry way to Ciy Hall, flp the dice and see if you get an answer to anything.
Robin Anderson,
Go pick up your dice and put them on display up at Diamond Joe’s Casino!
Where they belong.
I like this sculpture. I like supersized objects like the big chicken at the Barrel so the dice fit into my aesthetic. I had seen a picture of the dice sculpture before it was placed and the dice in the picture were stacked. It looked a lot better than the way it ended up with the dice kind of laying there. The location is horrible. Destroying this flower bed was inexcuseable especially since they didn’t have the permission of the park board to do it. Tucking it under the tree like they did keeps the public from getting a good view. A sculpture of this size needs to be some place where it can be viewed from all sides. The dice also should have been stacked. The open area on the other side of the transit station would have been a much better location, or the bricked plaza between City Hall and the Poodle. There are other sculptures in this collection that would have looked better in this flower bed and been compatible with the bronze urn that is also in Kitty’s shade garden. Had someone consulted the Park Board and Kitty Clasing, they likely would have given permission.
Outstanding suggestion on the location. And yes, had it been planned, brass would have at least melded into the garden setting, or plans could have been made to compliment each other.
Andy and I will arrest Robin and charge her with Petunia assault and molestation of Hostas. These do gooder artists and vandals like Robin give Mayberry a bad name.
Good for you Kitty, and your group of helpers. You have every right to be upset with the current events that did not take into consideration at all the volunteer efforts of others to make the park a nice place.
Robin, it’s called respect for others!
This is ridiculous. If anything the dice enhanced the garden. It’s unfortunate that the garden club can’t see this…also seems that the author has something against Robin. Sounds like he needs to grow up and be professional.
Hahaha…those dice are ugly n look simple…they definantly did not add to the garden
I’m not a huge fan of the dice, however it is art. Art is in the eye of the beholder, just because it doesnt excite me doesnt mean we should tear it down. if a few people dont like the library should we tear it down? i believe the committee did get prior approval of the city to place it there. To me this is a huge non-issue. Who cares, all the artwork enhances a persons experience downtown. It doesn’t take it away.
Permission needed to come from the park board and was never granted.
“I’m not a huge fan of the dice, however it is art. Art is in the eye of the beholder, just because it doesnt excite me doesnt mean we should tear it down.”
What about the flowers that where there before the dice, were they not “art”?
You see George, and anyone else that like those ugly dice, nobody asked permission to put them there.
This is a public park that belongs to ALL the citizens of Mason City. Taking the pulse I would venture to bet these dice would get a thumbs down from the vast majority of Mason City folks.
That Robin Anderson from the Chamber seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way. Her arrogance gets her in trouble.
George, it’s called respect for the efforts and works of others. By her actions, Robin had NO care about all the volunteer work the Gardening Club put into keeping that part of Central Park attractive. She did what she wanted, when she wanted, and where she wanted.
Most folk call that narcissism!
Observer, you nailed this issue right on the head with your analysis. Robin had no respect for the work of others. I don’t care which sculpture she placed there. She had no right to dig up their flower space.
I have a hard time believing Robin hadn’t mentioned it to at least a couple of people. Sounds like this needs to be investigated because someone higher up probably gave her the go-ahead. It’s that “clique” in operation again.
Of course, there may not BE anyone higher up. That’s the sad part.
Is this where the dice ended up, off to the side and on cement? From here it looks like alot of crowing for nothing. Could it be that a mountain was made from a mole hill? I’ll have to go see for myself.
If the flower bed was removed and a cement slab placed there, then I would have to agree. The dice should not be there. I’ll still have to go see for myself.
That’s exactly what happened. Part of the bed was torn out to make way for the concrete pedestal