People interacting with a modern outdoor art sculpture near a lake.

Dancing for Joy (By the Will of the People)

The Myth Makers, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein (2024)

Dancing for Joy (By the Will of the People) is a 20-foot tall bamboo sculpture featuring two flamboyant and vivid Great Egrets. Installed in June 2024, the artwork invites trail visitors to dance and weave through the wings.

Artist statement

Great Egrets are flamboyant and vivid. Each spring they grow extravagant plumes and leap with abandon to attract and impress a mate. They are unusual birds that share all nesting and child care duties.

This work of art is a meeting place, a place for children to play in and run through. A glittering silver white and nearly 20 feet tall, it is a beacon, visible from many views along the Back Cove Trail. Dancing for Joy is designed for all ages. The doorways are a variety of sizes. Which entry suits you? Can you dance your best show off prance through the display of the Dancing Great Egrets?

This installation is dedicated to the freedom to marry who you love. These sculptures celebrate the will of the people to democratically transform society. In 2012, Maine became one of the first states to legalize same-sex marriage through a citizen’s petition that won the popular vote.

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Installation date

June 2024

Location

Back Cove Trail

Materials

Bamboo

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About the artist

The collaboration between Dodson and Moerlein is born from a mutual love of the wild. Dodson takes inspiration from the mysterious nature of birds that spark her imagination. Moerlein takes inspiration from events in the natural world that leave visual marks and strike a narrative chord in the artist.

Although monumental in scale, these ephemeral works are temporary in nature. Made from natural materials, they are site specific, and respond to their local audience. Meaning to only last 3-5 years, they appear, fade, and disappear, adding a chapter to the life stories in their communities.

Dodson is a graduate of Wellesley College (BA) and is currently a Resident Scholar at the Brandeis University Women's Studies Research Center and a Visual Art Fellow at the St Botolph Club in Boston. Moerlein is a graduate of Dartmouth College (BA) and Cornell University (MFA) and a life long art educator and community activist.

Dancing for Joy was made possible through the support of DrummondWoodsum, Chappell Family Foundation, the Onion Foundation, Coffee by Design, Davis Family Foundation, Nichols Fund, Maine Arts Commission, and Visit Maine.