Waukee Public Library Chosen as New Home for Popular Outdoor Sculpture

Public artwork holds a unique place in communities, as it requires no museum admission, no gates, no guards and no velvet ropes. It’s just out in the open, welcoming, almost insistent that you ponder it with questions like, ‘Why is this here?’ or, ‘What is the meaning of this?’ Public art enhances the backdrop of our bustling daily lives to remind us of the quiet pleasures of beauty and creativity.

The lawn of the Waukee Public Library recently received such an enhancement in the form of a large iron sculpture. The man and woman from Grant Wood’s iconic “American Gothic” are central to the piece, called “Iowa–Past and Present–Living Fence.” The faces are flanked on each side by tall prairie grass and corn stalks.

This isn’t the sculpture’s first metro-area home. Crafted by artist John Brommel in 2003, the piece was initially commissioned for the William Krause family. (William Krause was the co-founder of Kum & Go and his son, Kyle Krause, is the current CEO.)

Krause had sent an architect to find an artist who could create something out of metal for a plot of land known as Teamwork Acres (along University Avenue, just west of SE Indigo Lane). Kum & Go often used this land for company events and training.

The search turned up Brommel, whose other works include “Pulling Together”—a large stainless steel sculpture featuring two hands holding pipe wrenches—which resides in front of the Plumber and Steamfitters Local Union No. 33.

Brommel said when he spoke with Krause about the commission, the businessman mentioned that one of his wife’s favorite works of art was “American Gothic,” and with that, the new sculpture’s central theme was agreed upon.

There was one major catch: Krause wanted the piece completed and installed in just 30 days due to an upcoming event. Krause also wanted it to be constructed out of metal from the junk pile of his friend’s family farm. Brommel did just that; he collected the metal, shaped it down to size and formed it into the piece he’d drawn freehand on his basement floor with a Sharpie.

“I constructed it in three sections that were bolted together, just so it would be narrow enough to get up the stairs,” said Brommel.

Once installed, the iconic “American Gothic” pair stood strong and tall with a red barn in the background. It was a slice of Americana, classically Iowan and a tribute to a beloved work of art, all in one.

When later asked to add a fence to the piece, Brommel took great pains to mimic the size and shapes of native Iowa tall grass and corn stalks. The addition made the piece 20 feet long, with heights ranging from three to 10 feet.

“I did the math so the pieces would progress in size according to the golden ratio,” Brommel said. “I model after how nature actually grows.”

Stainless steel rods form the fence stalks, and thin copper, which previously coated the Iowa State Capitol’s dome, form the thin silks topping the ears of corn.

Summer Evans, City of Waukee marketing and communications director, said the sculpture was moved to its new home near the Waukee Public Library by way of a parkland dedication. A developer, operating under the name of Grant Woods LLC, purchased the acreage on which the piece was previously installed. The art was sold as part of the property, which was purchased for a single family residential development.

“As a part of any residential development within the city of Waukee, the developer is responsible for dedicating a portion of the property to the city for parkland purposes,” Evans explained. “The amount of parkland dedication is based on the density of the development. In this case, the development is rather small, and the dedication requirement would have been minimal to the city.”

In lieu of sanctioning off any parkland within the development, the developer donated the artwork—appraised at $33,000—to the city, Evans said. She explained that several sites around Waukee were explored as potential homes for the art, but the library was ultimately chosen due to its “central location and extensive public use.”

Waukee Public Library director Kristine Larson is just one of many people in Waukee excited to have the piece added to the library grounds.

Larson said it’s a discussion piece for visitors, especially now that viewers can see it closer than before; each angle to the piece provides a unique view.

“I hope everyone takes the opportunity to stop by and see it,” said Larson. “It really connects with the progress of Iowa, and also Waukee.”

Mark your calendars to do just that at the upcoming dedication of the piece on Saturday, May 14 at the Waukee Public Library.

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For Cody Kilgore and Cindy DePond, serving on the Waukee Area Arts Council isn’t just a side project; it’s one that allows them to share their passion for art in all of its forms with our community. As the council’s president and director, respectively, they both bring their talent and desire to serve to their work.

DePond was a founding member of the arts council when the idea began brewing over a cup of coffee 12 years ago. At the time, nothing like it existed in the area. “There wasn’t anything around that promoted, advocated and presented various arts,” she said. “We thought that, as a growing community, it was the perfect time and a needed service for the community.”

DePond brings years of experience in not-for-profit programs and arts administration to her work for the council. After serving on the board since its inception, she began serving as part-time director three years ago.

Kilgore is a professional photographer and became involved after participating in one of the council’s art shows where he exhibited his photography. He’d heard about the council through mutual friends but didn’t yet know about its mission. “It made sense to me, and I thought we needed to bring more of the arts to Waukee,” he said. “There really aren’t any venues out here that can present visual arts, and it’s a great way to give back to the community.” Kilgore served on the board for a year and became president last year.  

Together with their volunteer board, DePond and Kilgore bring the arts to Waukee through events and programming designed to expose the community to a wide variety of mediums and artists. The board is comprised of volunteers who put in many hours to bring the arts to the Waukee area. “We try and shoot for a balance between visual and performing arts,” said Kilgore.

The council provides Waukee and the surrounding area with arts opportunities through programming and events. “We hold classes throughout the year, and in the summer, we usually provide classes for children,” said DePond. One of its programs, called Arts on the Road, gives area residents the opportunity to travel to other nearby cities, like Chicago and Omaha, to experience the arts there.

One of its most popular programs last year was a week-long short film school for children, where students learned how to produce a film, and then created a film to screen to audiences at the end of the week. The program and the movie were a big hit with all involved.

The council provides many programs and events for adults, as well. In the past, they’ve hosted small concerts presenting local or Iowan musicians.

“It’s a challenge to keep up with all the growth we’ve seen,” said DePond. “Since we are a bedroom community, we try to target our programming to family activities. A lot of the events are free and open to the community, and when we do have ticketed events, we try to make them reasonably priced.”  

Last year, the council held its first annual Waukee Arts Festival, and it all started with a challenge. The members of the board had tossed around the idea for years, but nothing ever came of it. “It came up again last year, rather late in the game, and a board member at the time said ‘You’ll never do this, you’ll never pull it off, it’s too late,’” said Kilgore. “It felt like a challenge, so I said, ‘Watch,’ and we drove the heck out of it.”

With some savvy social media strategies, the board members managed to get the word out pretty quickly. In just eight weeks, they pulled together 25 artists, five food vendors, four music acts and a concert. Although they were optimistic, they were surprised when the turnout exceeded 1,000 attendees.

“After we saw what we accomplished with that project, we truly believed in ourselves and what we could do,” said Kilgore. “We were challenged, and when we pulled it off, there was a great deal of pride. The momentum steamrolled, and by the time the day arrived, everyone was in. We made a great team.”

This year’s event, scheduled for Sunday, July 10, will be even bigger. With roughly 50 artists and 12 singer/songwriter acts, there will be more to see for everyone. “We think our state has plenty of artists, so we envision featuring chiefly artists from Iowa,” said Kilgore. He noted, however, that they’ve had a handful of inquiries from other artists around the Midwest.

There will be a farmer’s market at this year’s festival, as well as a juried student exhibition. Since it will be held on a Sunday, there won’t be any competition with other events in the area, and the group is optimistic about a great turnout. The festival will wrap up with the season’s first Sunday in Centennial, a series of concerts held over three or four Sunday evenings in the summer.

The council also participates in Celebrate Waukee, which will be held this year on June 4. This year, the council will provide entertainment for kids and free make-and-take art activities.

As for smaller events, the council works diligently to present a wide variety of artists. “The musicians are usually Iowa-based,” said DePond. The council also pays the artists for their performances; it’s one of their core values.

Although the council’s events are based in Waukee, all events are open to the greater area of Des Moines. “The community tends to think of itself in terms of its school district rather than the city limits,” said Kilgore. “We want to interest and encompass all those people, all those suburbs that have grown around the community.”  

Funding for the council comes from a variety of places. “We have business sponsorships, individual donations and city contributions,” said DePond. In the past, it has received donations for specific projects from places like Prairie Meadows and the Dallas County Foundation. This year, the council is looking for people to get involved in other ways, as well. “We’re looking for volunteers and board members to help us make a difference in what we do,” said DePond.

DePond describes herself as an “armchair artist.” She dabbles in a little bit of everything, including oil paint, craft projects, acting and theater. “I have a broad view of the arts and believe they all enhance people’s lives,” she said. “Music people, visual arts people—it doesn’t matter. They’re all passionate. The arts can bring people together and make them feel like a community.”

Sign-ups and programming information are available on the council’s Facebook page and its website, at www.waukeearts.org, which is currently under construction. Those wishing to receive regular updates straight to their e-mail can sign up for the council’s periodic e-newsletters.