By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
In the bustle of Bowling Green City Park, a quiet space has been created under a kaleidoscope of color.
All park patrons have to do is look up.
A bur oak tree, sickened by root damage, has been reincarnated into a sculpture called Metamorphosis 92.
“Bowling Green loves its trees,” so the sculpture made from salvaged wood is perfect, BG Parks and Recreation Department Director Kristin Otley said Tuesday after the dedication of the artwork.
“And any time you can have public art, it’s fantastic,” Otley said.
The sculpture was designed, created and donated by local mosaic artist Gail Christofferson and is located across from the pool in the newly refurbished horseshoe pit/cornhole area.
“People don’t like to see a tree come down in a park,” Christofferson said as she worked on the piece of art in July.
So what could be better than turning some of the limbs into art that park patrons can enjoy.
“It’s going to be super cool,” Christofferson said as she and her team erected the branches.
The branches were arranged in a teepee shape, then secured to the ground with rebar and cement. Mosaic pieces were suspended in between the upper branches. And seats made from tree trunks offer places to rest inside the artwork.
The sculpture is an oasis of calm in the park that is often busy with swimming, skateboarding, basketball, softball, and a playground for kids – all surrounded by a walkway for adults trying to get in their steps.
In addition to being visually interesting, the glass and wood sculpture provides a place where a few people can gather.
“It’s functional,” Otley said. “It’s a place to take a break, have a contemplative thought. I’m looking forward to sitting in there and reading a book.”
Christofferson, whose mosaic work is nationally acclaimed, approached the city about a desire to create and install a new sculpture in City Park prior to the city arborist’s determination of the tree being removed.
The heavy tree branches were sawed into wishbone shapes of similar size and arranged so that the pieces interacted together to form a sturdy and stable yet still organic structure.
Christofferson then created star-burst mosaic designs using scrap glass to fit the curved profile of the branches.
Christofferson also has mosaic installations at the Community Center, Wood County Senior Center and BGSU, plus a sculpture at Simpson Garden Park.
The mosaic is one of several additions to City Park this year. One horseshoe court was refurbished, two cornhole courts were added, and two inlaid chess boards were installed. Shade structures are being added over the bleachers for softball fans at the Eli Joyce Field, and a sidewalk to the field will be installed.
