City of sculptures: Public art displays dot the landscape throughout Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau was once known as the City of Roses.

The city is making a case to be known as the City of Sculptures.

Cape Girardeau’s outdoor, secular art scene now has at least 30 visible sculptures or statues on display, and it’s more than the recent emphasis on public art along Broadway in the last six years; only six of the 30 are accounted for by the Broadway public art project.

The city’s sculpture infrastructure has grown from the Statue of Liberty at Capaha Park’s Freedom Corner at Broadway and West End Boulevard. The newest statue, erected last weekend, also represents freedom, in a way. It’s the United States Colored Troop Memorial statue in Ivers Square near the Common Pleas Courthouse, which depicts a former slave who fought in the Union Army in the Civil War.

The artistic assortment of sculptures and statues spans from Southeast Missouri State University’s main campus and River Campus area to Broadway. It also reaches to the William Street, Kingshighway and Lorimier Street areas.

Lady Liberty was a gift from the Boy Scouts of America to the city Nov. 5, 1950. Vandals destroyed the statue May 12, 1976, according to Southeast Missourian files. It was found in a ditch on Sprigg Street soon after, repaired and remounted.

But sculptures are dotted throughout town. Three pieces are behind Southeast’s Art Building, Southeast spokeswoman Ann Hayes said. And three temporary pieces resembling rocks are within the River Campus courtyard — along with two pieces by former student Tyson Schoolfield, Southeast sculpture professor Chris Wubbena said.

And two sculptures — a quill created by Dan Perry in front of the Rust Center for Media on Broadway and one at the South Fountain Street/Morgan Oak Street roundabout — are permanent.

Harry Rediger served two terms as City of Cape Girardeau mayor and was known for his public art advocacy while in office.

He spearheaded the permanent sculpture installation — Wubbena’s Commence — at the Fountain Street roundabout.

“While I say I am not an artist, I know the value of art and the hard work that the arts council does,” he said.

Rediger also said he believed public art draws people to Cape Girardeau, particularly the downtown area.

Wubbena said he believes the recent surge in public artwork display installations stems from “a combination of people who want to make Cape Girardeau a culturally exciting city.”

Most recent was the installation of three concrete pads at the River Campus, under the direction of Rhonda Weller-Stilson, dean of the Holland College of Arts and Media, to provide a temporary home for sculptures created by students.

Pieces by Ashley Sexton, Brigit Ciskowski and Deanna Hoffman, currently occupy the spaces, according to Wubbena.

The spots will rotate, Wubbena said. If a student wants to do a show, he or she can use the locations.

Six similar artwork pads maintained by the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri featuring rotating artwork are on Broadway.

There also are two additional permanent sculptures — one at the front of Cape Girardeau Public Library and one at Capaha Bank at the corner of Broadway and Kingshighway.

And one sculpture, created by Wubbena around 2016, faces Independence Street at Cape River Heritage Museum.

But according to Wubbena, one of the newest sculptures is by Southeast student Heather Meadows, at Area Properties Real Estate at 1304 Broadway.

And one of the latest sculptures to be dedicated — made of steel by Southeast student artist Nick Hurst — is within the Student Art Garden at the corner of Broadway and Sprigg Street.

The Student Art Garden was established in 2015, in collaboration with Southeast, the City of Cape Girardeau and Broadway Pharmacy owner Lee Schlitt.

The garden was established to create “a green space that downtown visitors, students, residents and workforce could enjoy,” according to a news release.

Two recent additions can be seen within the new Peace Park at First Presbyterian Church, also on Broadway.

And to be dedicated June 8 is the new Civil War sculpture at Ivers Square, near the already present Union soldier statue atop the fountain.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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