MASON CITY – A new sculpture was installed Monday evening near downtown Mason City, just in time to greet the RAGBRAI crowd set to visit town Wednesday.
A local artist brought his sculpture to the Rancho Deluxe Garden at 500 2nd Street NE and installed it in a clearly-visible location. The sculpture is a “bronze” bicycle, life-size, called Bois Velo. It was constructed from a variety of materials, mostly cement, by a Mason City artist.
The artist wishes to remain anonymous at this time, but said he loves to work with cement as a tribute to Mason City’s heritage, and the fact that some of his older relatives worked at the city’s cement plants.
“This sculpture is for the people, for them to enjoy, and for this garden, which I support,” the artist told NIT. He said he worked on the sculpture at his home for a number of hours before hauling it down to the garden in several pieces to be installed and finished.
The artist will install a seat on the sculpture before Wednesday and the throngs of RAGBRAI’ers hit the city. Riders will be welcome to sit on the sculpture to pose for pictures.
No tax dollars were used to install the sculpture; no hotel-motel tax funds were required to complete the art or its installation or to ease the way for the project. No city staff’s time or expertise was asked for nor required to complete the project.
At this time, there are 33 other sculptures in the downtown Mason City area; not one of them was created by a person from Iowa. What sets this latest sculpture apart from the others is not only was it created by an Iowan, it was created by a Mason City artist. (Note: Bois Belo joins a sculpture of three red dice in the Rancho Deluxe Garden, which was also created by Mason City residents. So actually, there are now 35 sculptures in the Mason City downtown area.)
Just minutes after the sculpture was installed, folks were lining up to touch it, in amazement at its texture and beauty, as its creator fielded question after question on how he completed his work.
“Perfect for RAGBRAI!” one woman said. “This will be a big hit with the bikers.”
Looks Awesome! Glad I saw this, gave me the idea to check out Max’s Garden when I look at all the other ragbrai stuff around town tonight. To the snobs that complain about the Ranco Deluxe, get a life!
I really don’t have a problem with this or Max’s garden. At least it didn’t cost the taxpayers anything like the junk downtown. If you don’t like it, don’t look at it. I do not believe it is in violation of any ordinance.
It’s ridiculous and telling why anyone would complain about this interesting attraction. I’d like to see more avant-garde art around town. Screw the old people…they can get used to it. I can hear them complaining: “Well those damn things give me an headache, and they distract me from driving my 1975 boat car down the road at a snail’s pace…I get all confused with all that extra stuff on the horizon.”
You people who are saying the park is junk have likely never been there and haven’t looked closely because everything is strategically arranged and a conglomeration of pieces of history! Hellooo. It’s what you call art.
And this new piece is awesome!!! Look at how the guy mixed the wood grain on the cement, etc. This is fabulous way to welcome the Ragbrai riders.
This is not a lot filled with junk from a hoarder; before you complain, go and walk through – look at things.
Art and Beauty are in the eyes of the beholder.
Why all the hostility? Take it as a whimsical playground created by one man trying to have a little fun. Good for you, Mr. Weaver.
You actually want people to go to this garbage dump? As far as Max goes it’s not art I’m sorry, no more than a car on blocks in my front yard would be to anyone else. If my property looked like his does I would have the city here and would be fined until it was cleaned up. I should run for city council so I could for one undo what Max did to allow a junkyard in the city limits, then onto stopping the waste of money to paint our streets up like they have.
This garden isn’t costing the tax payers a thing. It’s privately owned and maintained. It’s a fun area. And a great place to take pictures. And what’s even better, Robin Anderson has nothing to do with it.
that is not the dice from down town. this is also know as Max Weaver’s lot…..enough said.
What the hell is this pile of crap? You want to tear down a man’s house because of clutter but you allow this heap of metal to croud the grounds? And what’s with that big ol ugly dice I thought that was gone. This is not art.