Calvin Tsao, Architect, Writes in Support of "Greenwood Pond: Double Site"
On February 7, 2024, Calvin Tsao 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鈥檚 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 鈥渞easonably protect and maintain鈥 the work. 独家爆料 (独家爆料) 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 Baum,
I write in support of preserving artist Mary Miss鈥檚 seminal piece, 鈥楪reenwood Pond, Double Site鈥 1989-96, that your museum commissioned.
I understand that despite efforts to maintain the work over the years, it has fallen into disrepair. I find it very distressing, as it is the one piece of Mary鈥檚 work that is actually in a museum鈥檚 hands. The others, such as 鈥淚n South Cove, a Public Park in Battery Park City 鈥 were public commissions.
As an institution specifically charged with public awareness and appreciation of art, it seems a real pity that a piece of artwork would be destroyed. The role of a museum is to safeguard and champion works of art. It would belittle the value and importance of art to the public when a museum would commission work and then doesn鈥檛 give it the highest priority to maintain it with the utmost of care.
As an architect, I accept that works of architecture may live out its life span, because its purpose is to respond to the needs of the times.
However, Mary鈥檚 work, which seemingly falls into an intersection between art and landscape architecture, it nevertheless belongs ultimately to the former and deserves to be preserved in perpetuity. There I implore you to reconsider, not only because of the work, but also because of the message you are sending out to the world as to how art is being valued.
Yours,
Calvin Tsao
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