New Sculpture Provides a Powerful Tribute to Our Heritage

By Doug Marrin, STN Reporter

A powerful and moving work of art stands on the new section of the Border-to-Border Trail north of Chelsea. I highly recommend adding this to your list of summer activities. The inspirational Native American figure is a must-see experience.

The sculpture, titled “Dedicated to the Women Leaders of Michigan,” was created by artist John Daniel Walters. The figure is a woman of Native American descent shown in non-descript dress consisting of animal hide and beadwork. She stands in pose with a strong contemplative gaze overlooking the north shore of Green Lake.

“Within the scope of public sculpture in the United States, both Women and especially Native American Women are significantly underrepresented," says artist John Daniel Walters.

“The work was commissioned specifically for that location on the trail,” Walters explains in an email to the Sun Times News. “The donors wish is to remain anonymous.”

Walters explains the choice to use Native American imagery as the subject to express Women Leaders of Michigan was three-fold.

“The first Women Leaders in Michigan were of Native descent,” he says. “Within the scope of public sculpture in the United States, both Women and especially Native American Women are significantly underrepresented.”

As to the third reason, he adds. “Due to the chosen subject matter, the location of the sculpture was chosen in part to enhance an area of the HWPI (Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative) that would contain other elements highlighting the regional history of Native American culture.”

One cannot help but wonder what she might be contemplating as she looks upon Green Lake, which may prompt one to become more introspective and meditative.

Walters created his work by casting the sculpture in silicone bronze using a traditional lost-wax casting process. The figure was first made in clay, a segmented mold is then taken, and finally, a wax shell is pulled from that mold. The lost wax process, also called cire-perdue, is a method of metal casting in which molten metal is poured into a ceramic mold that has been created by means of encasing a wax form.

Once the mold is made, the wax model is melted and drained away, and replaced with molten bronze. The various bronze segments are then welded together to create the final form, and a patina is applied to achieve the final aged color. From start to finish, this figure took eighteen months to produce.

“The figure does not carry any identifying patterning or marking on her clothes as our goal was to not date the work in a specific historical era or region, but to provide a strong, reflective canvas for each viewer to develop their own interpretation,” explains Walters.

Although the figure is intentionally non-descript, the attention to detail gives her a life-like presence.

“Dedicated to the Women Leaders of Michigan” is located on the new section of the Border-to-Border Trail, approximately one mile south of Lyndon Township Hall next to the tunnel taking the trail under M52. Landscaping and seating will be installed in the coming months.

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More information and contact for artist John Daniel Walters can be found at:

www.metaloffmain.com

john@metaloffmain.com

800-613-6385 ext. 1

HWPI is the nonprofit partner of Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, dedicated to supporting the B2B. The Border to Border Trail along M-52 in Chelsea is managed by Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation (WCPARC) in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and HWPI.

Photos by Doug Marrin