Effigy Tree Rededication Celebration at Hudson Park

Saturday, September 26 at 1:00pm

All are invited to attend the rededication of the Effigy Tree (Let the Great Spirit Soar, 1991, by sculptor Harry Whitehorse) on Saturday, September 26 at 1:00pm at the intersection of Lakeland Avenue and Maple Avenue. The celebration will mark the return of this iconic east Madison sculpture to its original home in Hudson Park. The Ho-Chunk nation is sponsoring the September 26 rededication event that will be emceed by Ho-Chunk Elder Gordon Thunder, and will include singing and drumming by the Thundercloud Singers. A block of Lakeland Ave. will be closed to traffic so that participants can gather near the sculpture and take part in the festivities. Like a sentinel at a post, the intricately carved figure, is the only contemporary sculpture near Madison's many effigy mounds that calls joggers, bikers and neighborhood residents to recognize the history and legacy of the adjacent effigy mounds. The symbols Harry Whitehorse carved into the piece are easily identifiable, approachable and seem to invite passersby, particularly children, to spend a contemplative moment at its base. Neighbors and admirers of the Effigy Tree worked diligently to preserve the sculpture at its intended site near the mounds in Hudson Park. The sculpture which was originally carved from a hackberry tree that was felled by lighting, has stood its ground since 1991, but has twice been near ruin due to decay. In 2007 a community meeting determined that the best option to ensure the long-term enjoyment of the sculpture was to remove it to the artist's studio for repair, cast it in bronze, and replace the original with the bronze replica. A group called the Effigy Tree Project formed and raised money to cast the piece and to create an endowment for its long-term care. The new sculpture was cast at Vanguard Sculpture in Milwaukee and was reinstalled in June of 2009. For more information about the Effigy Tree Project or the rededication please contact the group's spokesperson, Ann Brickson at hughesbrickson@charter.net or contact Anne Thundercloud, Public Relations Officer Ho-Chunk Nation AMThundercloud@ho-chunk.com

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