A sculpture titled "River Spirit" was commissioned in 2002 by the late Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed. The artist, Steven Dolbin, has completed the sculpture but, according to Haneman, "he doesn't know what to do with it." The sculpture weighs 7,000 pounds and is 37 feet long, five feet wide and 12 feet tall.
More: Dolbin said he created the sculpture, which is made of high-grade stainless steel, to "honor our Native American brothers and sisters" and to "speak sculpturally" about that heritage of the Susquehanna River and region. Embedded in the steel, which is shaped like a winding river, are "sacred images of various cultures, tribal wisdom and tributes to original cave paintings," according to an article from The Burg News website.
The cost: Dolbin is willing to donate the piece, but it will cost approximately "$26,000 to move it and to finish it when it gets to a new home," Haneman said. In an email, Haneman explained that Rivertownes, "does not have a budget to support this project" and that it "was suggested that a fundraising campaign be organized to fund it."
Sponsorship needed: Haneman reported that Create Columbia and Columbia Borough approached Rivertownes about sponsorship for the project. According to their website, Rivertownes is a nonprofit that "manages and preserves the Musselman-Vesta Iron Furnace Center and surrounding iron furnace remains" and cultivates "art, heritage, and recreation in the river towns of Columbia, Marietta, and Wrightsville."
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View the sculpture HERE.
