Des Moines Art Center Resolves $900K Dispute with Mary Miss Over Land Art
The Des Moines Art Center has recently come to an agreement with renowned Land artist Mary Miss, marking the end of a tumultuous chapter that began in December 2023. The museum has settled to pay Miss a whopping $900,000 in compensation for the dismantling of her iconic Greenwood Pond: Double Site, 1989–96, an expansive outdoor installation that has garnered both acclaim and controversy over the years.
The saga unfolded when Des Moines Art Center director Kelly Baum notified Miss of the museum’s intention to demolish Double Site due to its deterioration from exposure to the elements, raising concerns about public safety. Subsequently, the artist filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit in April 2024, accusing the institution of neglecting the upkeep of the work post-completion. Constructed from a mix of treated wood, metal mesh, and concrete, the installation features a boardwalk encircling a lagoon and various structures for communal use.
Mary Miss’s Perspective and Legacy
In a candid interview with the New York Times, Mary Miss shared her mixed emotions regarding the settlement. She expressed disappointment over the demise of her creation while acknowledging the newfound recognition the dispute has brought to her career. Despite facing obscurity in recent years, Miss found solace in the awareness raised about women Land artists, thanks to the attention surrounding Double Site’s fate. As a gesture of gratitude, she plans to allocate a portion of the settlement to the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a champion for preserving significant landscapes.
Expert Reactions to the Settlement
Not everyone is pleased with the resolution reached between Mary Miss and the Des Moines Art Center. Susanneh Bieber, an art history professor at Texas A&M University specializing in American environmental art, criticized the outcome, labeling it a setback for the field and the appreciation of art in society. Similarly, Leigh Arnold, a curator at the Nasher Sculpture Center, lamented the loss of Double Site, citing broader societal attitudes that undervalue intricate artistic endeavors requiring nuanced contemplation and perseverance.
As the art world grapples with the implications of this settlement, the legacy of Mary Miss’s Greenwood Pond: Double Site continues to spark conversations about the preservation of environmental art and the recognition of women artists in the genre. The resolution may mark the end of a legal battle, but its reverberations are sure to endure in the realm of contemporary art for years to come.
