WHS sculpture to be unveiled

WASILLA — The cover is coming off a controversial piece of public art at Wasilla High School today.

Two days after “Warrior Within” was installed in front of the school Jan. 29, WHS Principal Amy Spargo had the 12.5-foot-high sculpture covered after fielding concerns from some students and parents that the work resembled female genitalia.

It’s been covered since as the school works with the artists, Meadow Lakes residents Jim Dault and Shala Dobson, to educate students and the community about their interpretive artwork that reflects aspects of the warrior spirit. Spargo said she’s putting together a committee comprised of community members, students, parents and administrators to review the piece.

In the meantime, the tarps are coming off in preparation for next week’s parent-teacher conferences, she said.

“It was already scheduled to be uncovered for the parent-teacher conferences,” Spargo said. “It’s going to happen so parents can experience (the artwork) at parent-teacher conferences. We just need to work through this in a positive, productive way.”

Dault and Dobson said they didn’t know the plan was to take the cover off their work Friday, but that they’re pleased with the development.

“I think it’s great, that’s what it’s meant for,” Dobson said. “We’re very happy. That’s what we wanted to have happen, and we wanted to do the presentation so they could understand the symbolism of the ‘Warrior Within.’”

The $100,000 artwork was commissioned through the Percent for Art Program, a state law that requires the expenditure of 1 percent of capital construction costs of public buildings for permanent installation of artwork. A Percent for Art committee comprised of Wasilla High staff and administration picked its final recommendation, which was approved by the Mat-Su Borough School District School Board.

That committee process wasn’t inclusive enough, Spargo said, adding she thinks public debate is healthy.

“Where this goes is going to depend on the Wasilla High community, and I really believe everyone needs a voice,” she said. “I want the kids to have education when they look at it. I don’t want it to be defaced, I don’t want it to be a big joke.”

That education will happen Feb. 24, when the artists will give presentations to the student body about the symbolism of the art. Part of that includes the shape of the sculpture’s shields, Dault said.

“Those shields are in the same shape Zulu warriors use,” he said. “A warrior’s greatest battle is within himself, and for a warrior, patience has a great reward. Everyone has to answer to the warrior within themselves.”