{"id":100435,"date":"2025-12-22T16:48:40","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T23:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/?p=100435"},"modified":"2025-12-20T17:02:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T00:02:21","slug":"a-crane-in-the-roundabout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artistsofutah.org\/15Bytes\/a-crane-in-the-roundabout\/","title":{"rendered":"A Crane in the Roundabout"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u2014usually tucked deep in marsh grasses\u2014so the sculpture transforms an intimate natural moment into a monumental public one.<\/p>\n

Created by Don Kennell and Lisa Adler of DKLA Design (New Mexico), Sandy is built from hundreds of overlapping steel \u201cfeathers,\u201d 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\u2019s natural patterning without reproducing it literally.<\/p>\n

Nestled into Sandy\u2019s 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\u2019s upper surface into an unexpected tableau of family life. Their presence adds a touch of warmth and narrative, drawing children and passersby closer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n