By Staff
Bronze sculptures such as those collected by Dowagiac's Dogwood Fine Arts Festival require regular maintenance.
Yearly washings and waxings remove grime from automobile emissions and acid rain which can, over time, damage the patina and pit the bronze surfaces.
After a thorough washing by city workers, all five bronzes were waxed and buffed by John Vylonis of Vylonis Construction Co. and two crew members, Mark Vylonis and Mark Davis.
John is a member of the Dogwood Visual Arts Committee who volunteers his time to safeguard Dowagiac's permanent outdoor sculpture collection.
"We're very proud of our public art," says Visual Arts Committee Chair Thelda Mathews.
"We appreciate the donors who gave to the city."
The bronzes include Dance of Creation in Farr Park, a gift of the Tremble-Dalton families; Resting Dancer by City Hall, a gift of the Harold B. Franklin family, and both by Tuck Langland; Mount 'n' View by Nina Akamu, a gift of the Wanda L. Franklin family outside Dogwood headquarters in Huntington Bank; Stone Lion by Rosetta in Beckwith Park, a gift of the William F. Moran family; and Dawn Sentinels, a gift of two great blue herons from the mayor's family placed outside Donald Lyons Health Center.
The other two of the seven pieces include Richard Hunt's Active Hybrid in steel near the Mill Pond, from St. Denys Foundation, and Sunflower, Fritz Olsen's white marble from Dan and Katherine Brosnan's family in Beckwith Park.