Return Journey is the only project I’ve done with neighborhood fundraisers. There were a lot of them.  There were movies at the Riverview Theater. Mayor Rybak came to these fundraisers.  There was a very enthusiastic community group. They called themselves the Rocket Boosters.  They sold earrings, they did everything, for at least a year to raise money for the rocket.

How does that make the project different?  You feel the community more directly.  It’s people–they were very invested in this project, so I felt a pretty big sense of responsibility.  I mean, I didn’t really feel like “the artist” on it, per se. Even though it was my vision I guess to do it–it’s like, really, if the rocket remains intact, that’s a big win.  If it’s recognizable, if it’s put back in a way that people can walk by it and say I remember climbing up there, or if you’ve never climbed up there, say ooh, what is that, and imagine, and wonder about it.

The dedication ceremony was fun.  That was in 2007, it was in October, it was very warm for October, and tons of people came out.  I think there was rocket-themed cake, and people speaking, and just the energy that people had that the rocket was finally back.  I’d say 99% of the people were enthusiastic about it. There’s always the people who doubt and wonder why is it, what is it… it’s just a sure thing that there’s always going to be those… or the people who were still wondering why it wasn’t a play structure, so they’re caught in that.

You know, the rocket’s not unique either.  In the ‘60s, all kinds of these rockets went up everywhere, all over the country.  And they presumably have the same issues. So at one point I thought, man, I could be doing rockets all over the country!  And actually I’ve had inquiries from people wanting to know how I anchored it, and what size foundation, and it’s like… no, I’m not going to tell you how to do my magic. It was a lot of work!

The whole project took at least two years.  I mean, with the fundraising and everything, I would say probably close to three.  Every step of the way–every landscape element had to be reviewed, scrutinized both by the city and the park board, the piece had to be approved by the city’s arts advisory committee and then the arts commission in full and fabrication needed to occur, the budget, the fundraising… it went on for a long time.  I’d say installation was probably the least of it. That was only three months maybe, max, once it was all fabricated.

And I was always afraid of it blowing down.  Because it’s a six-inch diameter pole that’s leaning at an angle, and there’s a big concrete footing under there, but the original plan was not for it to be steel.  I had originally seen it as concrete. Bigger, you know, and maybe textured to look like it was blasting off or something, but that was not going to happen. Too expensive, too… so it really wanted to be steel.  And at first that was jarring to me, but then I realized that it would actually look more daring even, and it offered an opportunity for cables to create the flame.

Minneapolis, public art, Return Journey