Cherry is ripe for a new coat of paint

The iconic sculpture, "Spoonbridge and Cherry," has been a feature at the Sculpture Garden near Minneapolis' Loring Park for more than 20 years.

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: February 23, 2009 - 9:05 PM

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One of the Twin Cities' iconic images is getting a new coat of paint.

The cherry portion of the Walker Art Center's "Spoonbridge and Cherry" was removed this morning for repainting.

The stainless-steel cherry, weighing in at 1,200 pounds, was hoisted from the tip of the mammoth spoon by a 110-ton crane.

It's now on its way to Hugo, where it will be sloshed in the same paint that is used for yachts and barges. The bright-red orb should be back on its familiar perch in about five weeks.

The artwork has adorned the Sculpture Garden near Minneapolis' Loring Park since 1988 and has been a signature image for the metro area.

It was designed by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The husband and wife produced a number of large-scale sculptures of everyday objects, such as a flashlight in Las Vegas and a firehouse in Freiburg, Switzerland. Coosje van Bruggen died January 10 at age 66. She had been battling breast cancer.

The mammoth sculpture was constructed by two New England ship-building firms.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482