At the Pinebrook roundabout of I-80’s Jeremy Ranch exit, Sandy the Crane presides over the landscape with a quiet, attentive dignity. Unlike a typical depiction of a sandhill crane in motion, Sandy is shown seated in her nest, her long neck lifting skyward while her body settles into a broad, domed form. Nesting cranes are rarely seen so visibly in the wild—usually tucked deep in marsh grasses—so the sculpture transforms an intimate natural moment into a monumental public one.

Created by Don Kennell and Lisa Adler of DKLA Design (New Mexico), Sandy is built from hundreds of overlapping steel “feathers,” each piece cut, curved, and layered to create a surface that reads as both plumage and armor. The feathers alternate between rusted steel and a cool, galvanized silver, giving the sculpture a shifting texture that changes with the light. Up close, the craftsmanship becomes apparent: the artists treat each feather as a distinct gesture, echoing the crane’s natural patterning without reproducing it literally.

Nestled into Sandy’s back are two bright yellow crane chicks (colts), their rounded heads just visible above the layered feathers. The chicks peek out with wide, alert eyes, transforming the sculpture’s upper surface into an unexpected tableau of family life. Their presence adds a touch of warmth and narrative, drawing children and passersby closer.

Beneath Sandy, the nest itself is a sculptural structure: a dense weave of rusted steel strips shaped to resemble bundled grasses or willow branches. The base is not merely a support but a fully realized environment, giving the impression that Sandy has settled directly into the landscape of the roundabout.

Sandy’s name came from the community she now watches over. Students from Jeremy Ranch Elementary School proposed the winning name, selected through a county-wide vote that drew more than 2,500 responses. The chicks were given the runners-up in the local naming contest, Milo and River. Together with Rocky the Moose in the neighboring roundabout, Sandy forms one half of a sculptural pair celebrating the wildlife woven into everyday life in Summit County.

15 Bytes

UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.