Renowned artist’s sculpture to be installed at Petaluma’s River Park

Petaluma is about to welcome a towering new piece of public art near the river, and no, this one has nothing to do with bathtubs.

World famous sculptor Mark di Suvero’s wind-activated metal sculpture Huru ‒ built in Petaluma in 1985, featured in exhibitions across the U.S., most recently seen at Crissy Field in San Francisco ‒ is coming home this week, where it will be installed on a long-term basis as the striking new centerpiece of Petaluma River Park.

The physically demanding technical installation on the McNear Peninsula will take place this week and a public welcoming event is planned for Saturday, Oct. 7 9:30-11 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:15 a.m.

The installation itself should be impressive - though the location will be closed to the public when it happens - as an array of trucks, cranes and cherry pickers move the 12,000-pound, 38-foot tall steel abstract sculpture into place, a process described in a recent news release as an “elaborate and intricate dance of 6 tons of steel getting perfectly positioned and oriented.”

Huru ‒ an Australian aboriginal word meaning “hello” and “goodbye” ‒ playfully resembles a human figure waving its arms in welcome or farewell.

It is being loaned to Petaluma River Park by the estate of Lowell McKegney, a longtime friend of di Suvero, who worked with him as his studio director. McKegney was gifted the sculpture back in the 1980s. Attending the celebration on the weekend will be McKegney’s wife and daughter, Carol McKegney and Katy McKegney.

Still active today, di Suvero, who’s been creating massive sculptures like these for over 60 years, has studios in Queens, New York and Petaluma.

The Petaluma River Park ‒ owned and operated by the nonprofit Petaluma River Park Foundation ‒ comprises 24 acres of undeveloped property on the historic McNear Peninsula. The stated mission of the park is to connect people, art and nature, and the installation of such a world-renowned sculpture goes a long way toward fulfilling the art portion of that promise.

During the weekend’s festivities, there will be hands-on arts and crafts activities coordinated by the Petaluma Arts Center, and park staff and volunteers will be available to answer the community’s questions about Huru, di Suvero’s work, and future plans for the River Park.