The large yellow sculpture outside the Springfield Art Museum that some refer to as the “French Fries Sculpture” is in need of some TLC. And museum officials are hoping the community will step up to help. KSMU’s Michele Skalicky has more.
Sun Target II was installed east of the art museum in 1980. Curator Sarah Buhr says it was built by sculptor John Henry who’s based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee and who still produces work.
"He's a pretty well known large-scale sculptor. He has work all over the country, and he was really integral in supporting exhibiting monumental sculptures across the United States," she says.
Henry funded a group called Construct, which included other artists, according to Buhr, and which installed those sculptures across the U.S.
Sun Target II sat in its original spot outside the museum until 1994 when it was moved further east, where it is today, to make way for the Musgrave Wing.
Buhr says at that time it was repainted, but it’s since faded, ironically, due to the sun. The museum has consulted with Henry and has received his permission to move forward with the work.
"It has to be sandblasted and cleaned and then repainted with a very specific color," she says.
That color is a Pantone vibrant yellow/orange.
The museum hopes people will donate on Give Ozarks Day, May 3rd, to help it raise $17,500 to renovate Sun Target II as well as the other outdoor sculptures on the grounds and to create new signage.
Joshua Best, the museum's development and marketing coordinator, says a lot of people associate the French Fries Sculpture with the museum.
"Beyond that, a lot of them associate it with Springfield, and so we really wanted to get the community involved through Give Ozarks," he says.
And Sun Target II is meant to be enjoyed up close. Buhr says John Henry has always been interested in how sculpture interacts with people.
"That's why we're so excited, I think, about this project in that people have been enjoying it for so many years and, of course, that's why there's wear and tear, so we want to conserve it so that people can continue to enjoy it for future years," she says.
Best encourages people to take selfies with the sculpture and share stories of their experiences with it on social media and tag them #SaveTheFrenchFries.
Learn more here.
The art museum recently reopened the Musgrave Wing after two months of renovation. The wing received all new LED lighting enabling the museum to provide brighter, clearer lighting while supporting better conditions for the continued preservation and care of its artwork.
According to museum officials, the LED bulbs emit zero ultraviolet rays unlike the older incandescent and halogen bulbs. They also don't produce heat, which allows the museum to maintain proper temperatures in the galleries.
