COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Each piece of art that Milo White and Lin McJunkin create is precious to them.
“They’re our babies,” White said Tuesday afternoon.
That morning, he and McJunkin learned that Mi Paloma Brilla, their stainless steel and cast glass sculpture of a dove just placed at Riverstone Park, had been damaged, as reported by our news partners, the Coeur d'Alene Press.
And yes, it hurt.
“Not a great day,” White said in a phone interview with The Press.
Mi Paloma Brilla, which means “my dove shines,” was one of four pieces approved by the Coeur d'Alene City Council in August for public display via the city’s ArtCurrents program.
Here’s how the artists described it:
“What the world needs now are peaceful transitions from all the sickness and shouting to healing and positive change. We chose the dove, a universal symbol of peace, to convey our hopes for a healthy, prosperous and meaningful future for all of us."
White said while it was disappointing to hear that a few pieces of the cast glass had been broken, it rarely happens.
He said in their 10 years of creating art together, he and McJunkin have had dozens of pieces displayed at municipal locations, including Coeur d’Alene, without incident, until now.
McJunkin will take a road trip this week from Mount Vernon, Wash., to make repairs.
Both said after assessing the slight damage, they believe — and hope — it was “unintentional” and perhaps a wayward rock struck it.
"Anything questionable, it’s almost always unintentional," White said.
Two men on an afternoon walk around Riverstone stopped to inspect Mi Paloma Brilla, which has a price tag of $9,000.
When they saw the broken glass, they shook their heads.
"Why do people do this?" asked one of the men.
The city’s Arts Commission seeks artists annually to participate in ArtCurrents, a popular program in which the city basically leases pieces of art for use in downtown Coeur d'Alene and the Riverstone area.
Pieces are displayed along Sherman Avenue, Lakeside Avenue, City Park, Atlas Waterfront Park and the Riverstone area.
Artists submit applications for placement of their sculptures for a year, with an option to renew for a second year.
The selected artists are paid a stipend of $1,000 each year. The displayed works are for sale, with the city receiving a 25% commission.
Other pieces approved this year included Reins by Francis Fox, O’Keefe 8 & 9 by Patrick Sullivan, and Responding to a Rival by Jason Paul.
Parks Director Bill Greenwood said while there has been a lot of vandalism in city parks this year, art displayed throughout the city generally goes untouched.
The incident does not change White's and McJunkin's plans to have their art publicly displayed.
“People see us throughout the region,” White said.
The Coeur d'Alene Press is a KREM 2 news partner. For more from our partners, click here.
