Totem, is a public artwork by American-Spanish artist Rinaldo Paluzzi, located on the grounds of White River State Park, which is in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The sculpture is made of stainless steel and is a triangular shaped vertical "tube" with triangular and trapezoidal cut-outs in the steel. The piece sits centered atop a concrete circle, 40 feet in diameter, with a sundial face. The piece was constructed in 1982 and dedicated November 9, 1982. It is copyrighted 1983.[1] The sculpture was the first public art piece in Indianapolis fully funded by individuals, businesses and institutions.[2]
| Totem | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Rinaldo Paluzzi |
| Year | 1982 |
| Type | Stainless Steel |
| Dimensions | 980 cm × 150 cm × 150 cm (384 in × 60 in × 60 in) |
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States |
| 39°46′04″N 86°10′17″W / 39.76778°N 86.17139°W | |
| Owner | White River State Park |
Description
editThe sculpture also has a bronze plaque placed just south of it. The plaque reads: TOTEM/BY RINALDO PALUZZI (AMERICAN B. 1927)/FABRICATED BY MITCHUM-SHAEFER, INC./OF INDIANAPOLIS AND DONATED TO THE WHITE RIVER STATE PARK ON NOV. 9, 1982/INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS (33 names listed) INSTITUTIONAL CONTRIBUTORS (30 names listed).[1]
Information
editWhite River State Park owns the piece, which was fabricated by Mitchum-Shaefer, Inc. based out of Indianapolis. Over 60 individuals and institutions contributed the $95,000 to install the piece making it the first art piece in Indianapolis in which funds were crowdsourced for a public artwork.[1][2] The piece cost $91,500 total to complete and install. Donors included Allstate, Allison Transmission, Eli Lilly and Company, and RCA. A series of limited edition lithographs of the sculpture were created by Paluzzi and sold for $250 each.[2] The sculpture was dedicated on November 9, 1982 and was copyrighted in 1983.[1] The Scecina High School marching band performed at the dedication ceremony.[3] Then mayor William H. Hudnut spoke at the ceremony and presented Paluzzi with the keys to the city.[4]
Further reading
edit- Garmel, Marion. "Paluzzi's 'Totem'". The Indianapolis News. 12 May 1981.
- “'Totem' Funds Go To Builder.” The Indianapolis News, 11 June 1982, p. 21.
References
edit- ^ a b c d Save Outdoor Sculpture, Indiana Survey (1992). "Totem (sculpture)". SIRIS. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ^ a b c Garmel, Marion (13 October 1983). "Bills on Paluzzi 'Totem' Are All Paid". The Indianapolis News. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ Patrick, Corbin (11 October 1982). "Progress on Totem". Newspapers.com. The Indianapolis News. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ^ "Paluzzi sculpture installed". Newspapers.com. The Indianapolis Star. 14 November 1982. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
