city council

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

A proposal for five larger-than-life-sized beavers “swimming” through the grass in Davy Park was approved by the City Council Monday.

Beavers in Davy Park? Five will arrive in coming months as part of Moorhead’s call for public art proposals that “reflect and highlight Moorhead Pride.”

The City Council on Monday approved the proposal chosen by its art review team – a bevy of larger-than-life sculpted beavers created by artists Catie Miller and Emily Williams-Wheeler. Theirs was one of four submitted after a May call for submissions.

The artists envision five brightly colored beaver sculptures posed and displayed as if swimming through the grass in Davy Park at First Avenue and Seventh Street North. They wrote, “Beavers were chosen because of the proximity and to highlight the ecosystem of the Red River Valley.” They also symbolize, they said, “persistence and hard work, symbolizing the community of Moorhead.”

The stylized critters were inspired by similar ublic art installations including the Leaepfrog Forest playground in Dallas, Texas, and several in Europe. They will be cast from fiberglass molds, similar to the bison sculptures in Fargo. They will be located near the playground in the north end of the park.

Several council members expressed concern about their durability, given Fargo’s experience with the bison and the fiberglass Sodbuster that originally stood at the foot of Broadway. According to the artists, Moorhead’s beavers will be manufactured and finished differently, with autobody paint and clear coating applied to protect their finish. Their estimated life is 20 years. The two women added that some degree of damage is probably inevitable, given that children and adults are encouraged to interact with them. A contoured concrete pad will prevent damage during grass-cutting.

The estimated cost of $26,636 will be covered in part by $10,000 from the Moorhead Community Fund, $200 from the arts and culture commission, $4,000 from the public art budget, and $5,000 from the River Corridor Capital Improvement Fund. Assistant community planner Kim Citrowske, who presented the proposal to the council, said the balance of about $7,000 will be raised through grants, sponsorships or alternative budget options.

Miller, an MSUM graduate, contributed the murals to the exterior of the Fargo City Hall and Community Family Market. Williams-Wheeler, who works in Studio e in the old Lincoln School in north Moorhead, is responsible for a variety of large-scale public art, including the “four seasons” trees on the skyway above Broadway and Santa’s Wonderland at West Acres; she was named “outstanding artist of the year” by the Arts Partnership in 2018.