A 50-year-old sculpture that’s been hidden for 14 years is open the public again.
Through the efforts of people from around Seward County, “Arrival,” a sculpture at the Blue River Rest Stop on Interstate 80, welcomed its first visitors in over a decade July 10.
The Seward County Visitors Bureau, Nebraska Department of Tourism, Nebraska Department of Transportation and Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership hosted three informal ribbon cuttings at the rest stop – one to reopen the gate to the bridge, one to open the new 1,500-foot long handicapped accessible walking path and one at the sculpture.
“It creates awareness,” Clark Kolterman, chairman of the SCVB, said of the three ribbons. “The NDOT District 1 Engineer Brandon Varilek was key in developing the walkway to the ‘Arrival’ sculpture. We must thank him and NDOT employees Jeff Havlat, Bob Rankiw and Jerry Zieg for their work preparing the area for travelers
“The Blue River Rest Area crew - Randi Hernandez, Johnnie Wells, Stacy Page and Angel Rodriguez – spent many hours as well in readiness for the area’s opening, and we thank them all.”
“Arrival” was created by Paul von Ringelheim and installed at the Blue River Rest Stop on Interstate 80 in 1976. It is one of 10 sculptures installed at rest stops across the state in honor of the bicentennial.
Kolterman remembered the day of the installation – July 4, 1976.
“It wasn’t long. It was hot,” he said.
At the time, it was only accessible across a concrete bridge, which meant people with mobility issues could not get across the Blue River to see it.
An orchestra of mostly Seward residents performed at the ceremony. They set up under the sculpture, Kolterman said.
Lt. Gov. Jerry Whelan, University of Nebraska President Durward Varner and von Ringelheim were among the speakers.
According to the July 7, 1976, edition of the Independent, “many of these dignitaries arrived by helicopter minutes before the dedication.”
Sculpture garden
The sculpture is part of Nebraska’s 500-Mile Sculpture Garden, which was a project celebrating the American Bicentennial. In 1976, the 10 sculptures were dedicated on July 4. State representatives started at Greenwood with the “Memorial to the American Bandshell” and went west all day. “Arrival” was the second stop.
“Whelan said the sculpture is symbolic of the early settlers who came to our state and country,” the paper reported.
Von Ringelheim said the same when he started designing the installation.
In a July 16, 1975, article, the Independent said: “Von Ringelheim believes his sculpture portrays ‘the heroic stand’ taken by the pioneers as they settled in Nebraska.”
The project was the brainchild of Thomas A. Yates of Bankers Life Insurance Company in Lincoln and Norman Geske, director of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery. They suggested the project in 1973.
Support also came from the University of Nebraska Sheldon Arts Council, Nebraska Art Association and Nebraska and National American Revolution Bicentennial commissions.
The project was estimated to cost $525,000 in 1975.
When the project was announced, 121 artists applied. Judges narrowed the field to 46 that submitted more detailed proposals. They were reviewed by another set of judges, the State Department of Roads and representatives of the communities that would host the artists to determine the final 10. The winners were announced on July 9, 1975.
“It was unique for Nebraska of all places,” Kolterman said.
In addition to Greenwood (east) and Seward/Milford (east), rest areas at York (west), Grand Island (east), Kearney (west), Cozad (east), Brady (west), Ogallala (west), Sidney (west) and Kimball (east) were chosen.
Controversy strikes
“It was very controversial,” Kolterman said. “Some didn’t like modern art. They wanted more traditional because of the bicentennial.”
According to an article in the Jan. 21, 1976, Independent, Seward’s Bicentennial Committee “voted unanimously to support the idea of a sculpture at the east-bound Blue Valley rest stop.”
When Seward County representatives reviewed the semifinalists, the paper said, “Arrival” was their second choice.
It was the sculpture selected, however.
“At that time, in an interview with the Seward County Independent the artist stated his belief that his 35’ tall sculpture portrayed ‘the heroic stand taken by pioneers as they settled in Nebraska.’
“Expressing hopes that his sculpture would ‘become a citizen of Nebraska,’ the New York-based artist said his work reflected ‘the scale and grandeur of the work of the early settlers.’’ He also commented that his work was ‘avant garde’ or ahead of its time, just as ‘the pioneer spirit that settled Nebraska was before its time,’” the newspaper reported.
The surface’s rough, satin finish “will reflect the brilliance of the summer and winter suns,” he said in 1975.
The avant-garde nature of the works across the state and the lack of understanding by residents led the Nebraska I-80 Bicentennial Sculpture Corportation to have Reinhold Marxhausen of Seward, a Concordia College art professor, present a series called “How to See Sculptures.”
“It’s a great learning experience,” Marxhausen said at the time. “All the people who are upset now have an opportunity to learn. Those who don’t take those opportunities can’t complain.’’
Kolterman said the controversy has died away and Nebraskans have embraced the artwork.
Arrival
The sculpture stands about 40 feet tall and is about 20 feet wide.
In 1976, Von Ringelheim said his design was influenced by the area’s history and landscape. The sculpture’s aluminum surface “will really sparkle in your Nebraska sunlight,” he said in 1976.
He told a Seward Chamber of Commerce meeting in 1975 that he worked in proportion to the environment, working for “harmony through scale.”
Doing that keeps the art from being too big or too small for the space, he said.
Kolterman said the choices for the art were made based on the rest area. For example, one was a water sculpture, so it needed to be in a space where there was water.
Reopening the space allows travelers to rest longer, Kolterman said. He is one of the greeters at the rest area.
“It’s a pleasant surprise,” Kolterman said. “It’s like a park back there. It’s fun to see it all come to a culmination.”
Kolterman said supporters of reopening the area had to work with the state to get the project in the budget.
“They didn’t say no,” he said.
Sens. Mark Kolterman and Jana Hughes, both of Seward, added their support to the project.
“It’s owned by the state. It should be enjoyed by the state,” Clark Kolterman said. “It looks like I remembered.”
He said the sculpture garden will be rededicated on July 4, 2026, celebrating its 50th anniversary. Before then, he said, the state may do some renovation work on the picnic shelters in the park.
