Kurt Steger's work on the sculpture, located in the middle of the new roundabout at the intersection of Idaho-Maryland Road and East Main Street in Grass Valley is complete. Now it's up to Mother Nature to take it the rest of the way.

“The passage of time and the effects of the elements are part of the piece,” Steger said. “It's so new right now. It'll enhance over the years. I'm curious to see how it grows up.”

Rain has already left its legacy on the sculpture, as rust stains formed last week under metal pieces in the work's walls. It's that sort of natural change Steger is anticipating — the signs of weathered aging which will appear over the months and years to come.

As he looks forward to the evolution of the project, Steger also wants to share the story of its genesis, he said.

From the very beginning, the project's critical timeline presented a challenge. When Grass Valley's City Council approved the $50,000 sculpture last December, it did so with a tight deadline.

The project had to be completed by May 10 — in time for the Amgen Tour of California's roll through Grass Valley. Steger obliged by finishing the project a little more than a week ago.

Design

“I felt this was the gateway to Grass Valley, so I wanted it to have a gate-like presence,” Steger explained. The four-walled structure spans the roundabout, which serves as one of Grass Valley's main entrances from Highway 49.

The idea for the design came in a flash to Steger, he said. He calls it a sort of modern-day Stonehenge.

Once he landed on the basic concept of a cross inside a circle, the rest of the structure began to come together, Steger said.

A 10-year resident of Grass Valley, he used his knowledge of the area's timber and mining history to form his concept for the materials. He decided the piece should be constructed of concrete, timbers and metal.

“Then I looked at what I wanted to imbue the piece with,” Steger said. The Gold Rush left wounds in both the earth and the people, Steger said.

“There was environmental destruction with the mines here,” Steger said. “There was also massive human destruction during the Gold Rush,” in the genocide of the native people, he added.

With that in mind he wanted the piece to convey a healing aspect for the Earth and people. From each of the panels hangs a metal screen, honoring the Maidu, Cornish, Chinese and modern-day residents. The sculpture serves as a prayer wheel to facilitate the healing process, Steger said.

Putting it together

Almost all of the material for the artwork was salvaged, collected and purchased locally, Steger said. The notable exception are the timbers, which he plucked from the San Joaquin Delta near Lodi. The concrete in the walls were poured in casting sand at Steger's workshop, which used to belong to Grass Valley welder Lawrence Bieber.

Several of the metal gears and wheels built into the sculpture's exterior also came from rummaging through the workshop, Steger said.

When he began to put the piece together in December, Steger enlisted the help of local contractors to turn his scale-sized plywood mock-up of the sculpture into reality.

“The exciting thing about public art is you can bring in local people who are experts in their trades,” Steger said. “The kinds of things they specialize in I don't have the skills for.”

He brought in locals such as mining expert Mike Nevius, concrete contractors Barry Jones and Ben Shepherd, crane operator Joe Justice, Hansen Bros. Enterprises and Hills Flat Lumber.

“It was important to keep the money I was awarded flowing through the community,” Steger said. “That way the money is a community stimulus.”

Installation of the sculpture wrapped up a little more than a week ago, well ahead of the May 10 deadline.

Honest feedback

Steger knows the project isn't popular with everyone.

“One man rolled down his window, looked me in the eye, and said it was the ugliest sculpture he's ever seen in his life,” Steger said. “I was glad he said it. He paid his tax money for this and has every right to his opinion on it.”

For every negative comment there has been more praise, Steger said. Each person's interpretation of the project is their own, but he views the project as a gift for the city, Steger said.

“I'd love people to come up here and take a look at it,” Steger said. “It's intended to grow on people every time they come around it.”

To contact Staff Writer Kyle Magin, e-mail kmagin@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4239.