Over 100 spectators gathered in Sturgeon Bay’s Bay View Park Saturday morning to observe the dedication ceremony for “Wooly”, the wooly mammoth sculpture, which now stands next to the Ice Age Trail where it passes through the park. This piece of public art was brought to the city by the local arts board, and board Chair Helen Bacon shared a story about the how the idea for this project began and how it was funded………..
City Administrator Josh VanLieshout spoke about the city’s plentiful waterfront property, the role of the city park’s department on that property, and the cooperation between different city groups to help bring “Wooly” to the park……
The sculpture’s creator, artist Carl Vanderheyden, could not attend, but JR Jarosh of Edgewood Orchard Gallery spoke on his behalf. Jarosh shared some information on the artist and on the artwork’s design, and then he spoke of the importance of public art and how it creates memories of the city………
The ceremony concluded with a ribbon-cutting where Mayor Dave Ward yielded the big scissors, and beverages and snacks were served while the attendees mingled alongside “Wooly” celebrating this new addition to the city’s west waterfront.
