A series of metal sculptures that was hidden away in storage was recently installed in East Lansing City Hall.
The sculptures, titled “Community,” were created by local artist, John Neering, in 2006 for the city’s centennial and were once located in Valley Court Park.
But the sculptures began to deteriorate in their outdoor location and were later removed.
Wendy Sylvester-Rowan, the arts programming and creative peacemaking specialist for East Lansing, found the sculptures in the city’s soccer barn and initiated the plan to return them to the community.
“It was absolutely a team effort from multiple departments and multiple people,” Sylvester-Rowan said. “When we all work together, it comes out a lot better than when we try and do things on our own.”
The city commissioned a St. Johns machining shop, 508 Fab, to help restore the sculptures.
“We [spent] 36 hours … scraping off all the old [material] , clear coating them, making the base plates, and making the rails,” said Mike Oudekirk, the primary owner of 508 Fab.
On March 26, Sylvester-Rowan hosted a reception to celebrate the installation of the sculptures in City Hall.
“I think East Lansing has so many hidden treasures, and you may not expect to see these eight-foot-statues beneath the steps of City Hall but there is art in every corner, so explore your community,” she said.
The artist John Neering died in 2023, but three of his children were in attendance.
“My dad loved it here and he was thrilled to do this. And if he were here today, he'd be out of his mind about how well they did everything,” said his daughter, Gretchen Neering. “He was part of this community, and he would probably end it by saying, ‘Go Green’.”
Her sister, Jan Neering, added “Go White.”
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.