Jamie Weinfurter, an MFA student in studio arts, created a new sculpture using a collection of metal pipes and other parts from former playground equipment. The final design was the result of engaging with teachers, administrators, and students at Audubon Elementary in Dubuque.

On Tuesday, June 18, at 3:00 pm, a new sculpture was unveiled in front of Audubon Elementary School in Dubuque. 

Jamie Weinfurter, who graduated from the University of Iowa in May with an MFA in Sculpture and Intermedia, created the sculpture from recovered playground equipment. In December 2023, Weinfurter visited Audubon Elementary and talked with students about her artmaking process. She also asked the children for ideas about what makes the school special. Based on their suggestions and drawings, the artist designed a piece that resembles the wings of a hawk. Audubon’s mascot is a hawk, and it is a bird often seen flying over the nearby Bee Branch Creek Greenway.

"The generosity and commitment of everyone who has been involved in this project has been so appreciated,” says Audubon’s principal Ed Glaser, “because having a work of art of this magnitude on our property will add to the welcoming and student friendly environment we have at Audubon. In addition, our sculpture will serve as inspiration and a sense of pride for every aspiring artist who stops to appreciate it."

The sculpture includes a display case for a rotation of student art to be publicly shared. Weinfurter, who recently accepted a faculty position at Michigan State University, wanted the sculpture to honor the students’ creativity.

The playground equipment was salvaged by Dubuque Council member Danny Sprank from Comiskey Park with the hopes of repurposing it. A public art project led and created by a UI student was part of the package of work completed during the yearlong partnership between the City of Dubuque and the University of Iowa’s Initiative for Sustainable Communities.