Letter to the editor: Changes in Bucksbaum landscape

December 4th, 2009 | By Lesley Wright, Director Faulconer Gallery | Section: Opinion

Because so many students pass through Bucksbaum, I wanted to send along some information about a change we will be making over Winter Break. Let me know if I can answer any questions:

When Patrick Dougherty created Hat Trick in 2003 (the birds-nest sculpture in the interior courtyard), we asked him how long it would last. He said that his sculptures are never permanent and that they typically last about three years. At some point, he noted, they will go from treasure to trash, and he doesn’t like them to continue to exist in a dilapidated state.
Hat Trick is now over 6 years old. Two of its six sections fell awhile back. Another support leg snapped recently and the branches are now so dry and brittle that they stick out or break off. It has graced our courtyard for three years longer than we thought we’d have it, but the time has come to say good bye.

Sometime over Winter Break, we will be taking it down. It will leave a void in our visual lives. Perhaps some of you can think of ways to enliven the courtyard in the future. We hope FM will plant all of the planting circles next spring. But I wanted to prepare you for a change to come.