Monday, November 16th was the day that was chosen for Meg and I to install our stone sculptures in Owensboro, Kentucky. They were both to be permanent installations in the midst of the newly developed riverfront. What Owensboro is doing with their riverfront is amazing! Also, they have a very effective Public Art program that is leaving many larger cities in the dust!
We started the day with this crane...
....I thought that we'd be using this crane...
...almost used this crane...
....and finished with this crane. (It was my first 4-crane installation; that's got to be some kind of record).
We installed Meg's sculpture "Escape" first. (How about that Osprey mural in the background!)
Dereck Sheroan, our main crane operator for the last 8 years, is giving signals to Patrick Wood of Sterett Crane Company.
Jason Hayden of the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art is helping us tweak the template that will determine where to drill the hole for the stainless steel pin. Mary Bryan Hood, Executive Director of OMFA, was also present to help with the final positioning of the pieces. Meg White, as the artist, directed this entire installation, but you never see her in any pictures because she's behind the camera.
Next, a hole was drilled into the concrete, the epoxy mixed...
...then we started the sculpture over the stainless steel pin and set the piece onto some boards (in order to get the slings out from under the sculpture).
Lelan Hancock, deputy Director of public works with the City of Owensboro, helped guide the sculpture back to the predetermined alignment as I pivoted the piece with the help of the crane. We used choker hitches to remove the boards from under the sculpture. (That's a true choker hitch - in every sense of the word).
Next, it was my turn to install Oberon.
Touchdown! Oberon has landed.
If those are tears, they're tears of joy. The rain had started to pick up about the time that we were finished. We wrapped everything up and then Meg and I went out to try some of Owensboro's world famous BBQ.
All photos Meg White 2015
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