Angel de la Guardia was a main feature of the Mankato CityArt Sculpture Walk in 2024. Nine students from JWP’s Advanced Metal Sculpture Class spent seven months on the project.
Although the 2023-2024 school year may seem like long forgotten history, a cherished relic of the not so distant past will receive some new life in the Janesville community.
Janesville Matters is a small ragtag group of local volunteers, businesses, churches, and schools dedicated to providing a more colorful and creative environment for this small southern Minnesota town to enjoy. Projects have included planting bright-red flower beds along a main road, bringing holiday spirit with Christmas trees and Thanksgiving decorations, and most recently, purchasing then installing an incredibly elegant yet thought-provoking steel sculpture designed by none other than JWP students themselves.
The sculpture itself titled “Angel de la Guardia” was created by nine students (grades 10-12) during the 2023-2024 session of Advanced Metal Sculpture Class at JWP. This is a collaborative class that melds metal working techniques taught by Mr Demarais with the artistic imagery practiced by Mrs. Siebert; it may seem an odd pairing at first, but the class has been a longstanding tradition at JWP since 2017 and they have received a People’s Choice Award in year’s past. Demarais shared just how well classmates of differing disciplines soon begin to appreciate the effort put in toward a project, “These kids are passionate and that’s what makes a class like this work so well. It brings people together toward crafting some truly incredible designs.”
Of course, the early stages for a project of this magnitude required the artistic process to run its course, and the class debated what exactly their creation should consist of and what message it should reflect. This particular sculpture took roughly seven months to complete, starting in September and applying the finishing touches in April, with CNC, welding, and a call for gears noted as the bulk of the preparations.
Angel de la Guardia represents the “symmetrical chaos” of a biblically accurate angel. A mission statement by the Sculpture Class highlighted their fascination with the “symmetrical chaos of a biblically accurate angel.” While the stereotypical angelic wings are prominently on display, a second set of more dragon-like swings flutter behind them, and a thinner, butterfly-like set sit atop the piece. It’s a stunning blend of “traditional” angel imagery blended with a reptilian aesthetic, punctuated with a coiling serpent’s tail at the base of the sculpture.
The sculpture garnered praise and attention from many avenues, but the main consideration came from its seventh nomination in Mankato’s CityArt Walking Sculpture Tour. This award-winning outdoor exhibition pulls inspiration from hundreds of artists both local and abroad, but only 32 are showcased down certain stretches of downtown Mankato and North Mankato. Angel de la Guardia caught the eye of many visitors and art appreciators during its stay, and it received a People’s Choice Award in the Steel category.
Following their inclusion in the Sculpture Tour, the creations are placed on a rental block for prospective buyers to purchase. Which brings us back to Janesville Matters who recently purchased Angel de la Guardia for $5000, and intends to proudly display the work of art outside the Municipal Power Plant for all to admire. One of its members, Dr. Dave Pope, first laid eyes on the sculpture during the tour, and once it became available, knew the community would appreciate the remarkably creative efforts of these former Bulldog artisans, “This is the first Janesville Matters has purchased a sculpture like this, but to learn that a handful of young students designed it makes all that more special. We hope this may become a permanent fixture in town.”
