Lafayette’s Bicentennial sculpture arrives in pieces at Ninth and South

Work expected to last three days for sweeping ‘On the Banks of the Wabash’

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LAFAYETTE’S BICENTENNIAL SCULPTURE ARRIVES IN PIECES AT NINTH AND SOUTH

A sculpture commissioned to mark Lafayette’s Bicentennial arrived downtown Tuesday, as assembly of the work started at the southwest corner of Ninth and South streets.

Five sweeping pieces of stainless steel that make up “On the Banks of the Wabash,” by California-based Cliff Garten Studio, were being pulled into place, welded and smoothed out by Tuesday afternoon.

Kevin Maag – owner of Metal Arts Foundry, a company from Lehi, Utah, that fabricated the piece from 25 sheets of stainless steel – said he expected work to last three days.

The city commissioned the piece for $500,000 from sculptor Cliff Garten in September 2024, selecting the work from two dozen proposals submitted ahead of Lafayette’s 200^th birthday in 2025. Garten had described the piece as “an archway that could serve as the ‘frame’ of a stage or as the focal point for city events” and that “draws inspiration from the Wabash River and its significance for Lafayette’s history.”

Once installed, the sculpture will provide a pair of arches across the sidewalk that meets at the corner leading up Ninth Street and South Street hills.

Among the features:

• The word “Lafayette” was cut into the pinnacle of the sculpture’s arches, illuminated like a glowing lightbox.

• The sculpture features excerpts from the first verse and chorus of “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away” by Indiana native Paul Dresser and the state of Indiana, laser etched into the piece.

• From the artists’ description of the shape: “The dynamic topology of the sculpture offers myriad experiences. As people approach it from afar, it is perceived as two dynamic lines that overlap and seem to shift in relation to one another. As they get closer the sculptures’ archways become the focal point, inviting pedestrians to traverse under them. Once inside, the sculpture becomes a framing device that encompasses all your surrounding views.”

Dennis Carson, Lafayette’s economic development director, said the city raised $943,400 in private donations that cover the cost of the sculpture, site work and maintenance endowment. He said no tax money was used on the project.

Carson said details about a dedication ceremony for the sculpture would come later.

Here are sketches of the sculpture, as proposed:

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