John Boone, Artist, Writes in Support of "Greenwood Pond: Double Site"
On February 2, 2024, John Boone wrote the following letter to the Des Moines Art Center (DMAC) Director Kelly Baum concerning plans to demolish Greenwood Pond: Double Site, a site-specific installation by the internationally acclaimed leader of the land art movement, Mary Miss, commissioned for the Art Center’s permanent collection. The work, which opened in 1996, is in a diminished condition with some sections fenced off, suggesting the DMAC has not fulfilled its contractual obligation to “reasonably protect and maintain” the work. The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) is calling for the DMAC to reverse it demolition decision and, instead, to engage in meaningful consultations with the artist and others to find a solution that restores the artwork and develops a long-term, ongoing maintenance plan.
Dear Director Kelly Baum,
I write to you in support of Mary Miss' "Greenwood Pond: Double Site," which I see is in hot water at the moment. This letter is in support of solutions to maintain this artwork and not its destruction. Personally I do not have a remedy for the artwork's need for sustainable repair and renovation, let's leave that to engineers and park maintenance professionals. The resources to finance this project are out there. I want to express my support for Mary Miss and her work as it is historically important and should be a valuable participant in the Des Moines Art Center's collection. Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
John Boone
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