After a third sculpture along the Boardman Lake Loop Trail was severely damaged and the fourth and final sculpture showed signs of minor vandalism, the Traverse City Arts Commission removed the Spirit of the Forest Installation from the trail near Oryana this week. The last remaining sculpture in good condition may be moved to another location to be displayed while another art installation is considered for the trail system in the future. In the meantime, two witnesses have shared their account with The Ticker – and the Traverse City Police Department – witnessed the first sculpture being accidentally destroyed by people attempting to take a photo with the artwork.

The Ticker Earlier this month, it was reported that two of the four sculptures – large blue cast aluminum figures with human-like bodies, deer heads and antlers, each valued at $12,000 – were destroyed in two consecutive incidents of suspected vandalism. The sculptures were found overturned on the ground, broken off at the ankles. They had been installed earlier this summer as part of a rotating exhibit called “Art on the TART” and had sparked considerable debate on social media among some residents who found them “demonic” or “satanic.” Artists Steve and Dorota Coy denied that was their intention, saying the sculptures made references to nature and mythology. The Traverse City Arts Commission (TCAC) paid the Coys $4,000 to loan their artwork for two years.

The Traverse City Police Department (TCPD) has since been investigating the damage and increasing its patrols in the trail area. However, Harry Burkholder, executive director of the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority and TCAC liaison, says a third sculpture was recently damaged. Although it remained upright after one of its legs was damaged, “it was clearly a safety hazard, so we decided to take it down,” he says.

The fourth sculpture also showed signs of minor damage — nicks that could have been made by a hammer or axe, Burkholder says — so TCAC decided to remove the installation entirely. The panels will remain in place along the trail and could house another art installation in the future. The fourth sculpture, meanwhile, is still in good condition and could be moved to another, more visible location in the city. TCAC is still determining where that location will be, Burkholder says. The city has insurance on the sculptures and has filed a lawsuit to compensate the artists for their losses.

While the damage to the sculptures is considered deliberate vandalism, TCPD Captain Pete Simerson previously said The Ticker Authorities could not find any metal shavings or saw blades to indicate that the statues had been intentionally sawed off. He said it was possible that someone had leaned on or pushed the statues and knocked them over. An account from two witnesses suggests exactly that may have happened to at least one of the sculptures.

Father-son duo Matt and River Maitland were biking on the TART Trail on the afternoon of July 29 — a day before the first sculpture was reported damaged to TCPD — and saw a woman, man and young girl standing next to the sculpture. The Maitlands estimate the girl was five or six years old. As they approached on their bikes, the girl approached the statue and stood next to it for a photo. She stood on one leg in a silly pose, the Maitlands say, and lost her balance, clutching the statue’s arm as she fell. Both the girl and the statue fell backward, the Maitlands say. The girl and woman began to cry, while the man appeared surprised and upset.

“She wasn’t jumping on it or using it as a jungle gym,” says Matt Maitland. “It wasn’t anything violent. She was posing with it and fell over.” Matt says he stopped briefly to make sure the girl was OK and no ambulance was needed. When she seemed OK, he and River continued down the trail. While he considered whether to take a photo of the trio, he eventually decided to keep going. “It was probably 20 seconds total,” he says. “They weren’t running or escaping at that point. They saw us there.”

The Maitlands shared time-stamped photos The Ticker her bike ride on the TART Trail on July 29, arriving in Oryana around 2 p.m. Matt Maitland later contacted TART Trails to report the damaged sculpture. After The Ticker When the story ran on August 2, he also contacted headquarters and The Ticker to share his story. He was not immediately contacted by TCPD for another interview, but after making contact again on Friday (Aug. 23), he was interviewed by a detective who told him his story was “consistent with other things we’ve heard,” Matt Maitland says.

That detective confirmed speaking with Maitland but referred questions about the case to Simerson, who was out of the office Friday. TCPD Chief Matt Richmond also could not immediately be reached for comment. Whether the other sculptures were also accidentally damaged or intentionally destroyed is unknown; Burkholder points out that it’s odd that all four sustained some degree of damage. Copycat vandalism can sometimes occur when artwork in a particular area has been damaged. In any case, Burkholder says, the TCAC will examine the remaining sculpture with the artists to determine if there are any structural weaknesses before it is displayed again. “If that’s the case, we’re either not going to put it up or we’re going to have to find a way to stabilize it or put it up in a location where you can’t climb on it as easily,” he says.

Burkholder says the case shows the importance of respecting public art, which is meant to inspire discussion and sometimes even controversy and debate in the community. Even if the damage is not intentional and is caused by people enjoying the art and attempting to interact with it or photograph it, it is “important that everyone recognizes that public art is meant to be viewed and that climbing on it or touching it in a harmful way is not encouraged,” Burkholder says. “We want people to be aware of the installation and the work that is in front of them.”

Anyone with information about the damaged Spirit of the Forest sculptures should contact TCPD at 231-922-4550. Photo credit (middle photo): Karine Pierson.