Cherry is ripe for a new coat of paint

The iconic sculpture, "Spoonbridge and Cherry," has been a feature at the Sculpture Garden near Minneapolis' Loring Park for more than 20 years.

February 24, 2009 at 3:05AM
(Left to Right) At the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Leon Budke, an oilman for Rocket Crane crawled out of the 1,200 lbs. cherry from Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The cherry is destined for repainting and renovation but should be back on the spoon in the spring.
(Left to Right) At the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Leon Budke, an oilman for Rocket Crane crawled out of the 1,200 lbs. cherry from Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The cherry is destined for repainting and renovation but should be back on the spoon in the spring. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

One of the Twin Cities' iconic images is getting a new coat of paint.

The cherry portion of the Walker Art Center's "Spoonbridge and Cherry" was removed this morning for repainting.

The stainless-steel cherry, weighing in at 1,200 pounds, was hoisted from the tip of the mammoth spoon by a 110-ton crane.

It's now on its way to Hugo, where it will be sloshed in the same paint that is used for yachts and barges. The bright-red orb should be back on its familiar perch in about five weeks.

The artwork has adorned the Sculpture Garden near Minneapolis' Loring Park since 1988 and has been a signature image for the metro area.

It was designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The husband and wife produced a number of large-scale sculptures of everyday objects, such as a flashlight in Las Vegas and a firehouse in Freiburg, Switzerland. Coosje van Bruggen died January 10 at age 66. She had been battling breast cancer.

The mammoth sculpture was constructed by two New England ship-building firms.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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