BCAT News

The Burlington Sculpture Park Committee recently disclosed the sculpture “Follow Your Heart” has been damaged. The damage was first discovered by a concerned citizen late on Thursday night, Feb. 2.

“Follow Your Heart,” is the only piece that the Town of Burlington actually purchased using funds that Town Meeting allocated in May 2022. The artist who created “Follow Your Heart” is Mark Wholey, who operates his studio in Rhode Island. You can learn more about the artist at www.markwholeyart.com.

Jon Sachs was the first sculpture park committee person to the park. He collected the pieces of the sculpture that were on the ground. He saw no obvious evidence of weather related damage, such as a tree branch nearby. The sculpture was broken at the waist and the top portion of the sculpture was in three pieces on the ground. The committee and the police cannot say at this time if the damage was intentional or the result of heavy winds that may have propelled a branch or something similar into the sculpture.

The Committee Chair, Barbara L’Heureux spoke with the town administration and the police. A preliminary police report has been filed for insurance purposes, and an officer is being assigned to look into the case. The investigating officer will meet with anyone who can offer information, and ask that anyone with information contact the Burlington Police at 781-272-1212.

The sculptor, Mark Wholey, has been informed and he has already formulated a plan to not only repair, but also reinforce the sculpture to make it more resistant to future damage. According to L’Heureux, he believes that it’s unlikely that the damage could have occurred accidentally, based on his knowledge of the construction of the piece.

The rest of the sculpture will be removed and shipped to Wholey in Rhode Island as soon as the police have finished processing the scene. It will be returned to the park and continue to delight visitors and residents alike.

The committee is also working with the town and police to install security cameras to deter against future such incidents.

A personal note from Barabara L’Heureux, Chair of the Sculpture Park Committee:

When we first presented the idea of the sculpture park to the Town, many people worried that the park would attract vandalism.  We hoped that its highly visible location (on the common and next to the police station) would deter anyone seeking to do harm.  The park has been in existence for 2.5 years now and until this incident, none of the sculptures have been damaged at all.  

The sculpture park has become a place where Burlington residents can enjoy quiet, calm reflection among beautiful art, as well as a gathering place for fun, family events.  This incident will not change our mission or our focus on bringing beauty and creativity to Burlington.  

We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support from the residents of Burlington. The joy the park brings to people is what makes our work meaningful.