About this Sculpture
- Artist: Cynthia McKean with Third Graders of Douglas Elementary School
Rori
About the Artist
Local sculptor Cynthia McKean partnered with third-grade students at Douglas Elementary School to design this whimsical painted metal sculpture. Each student, scissors in hand, cut out brightly colored poster board shapes and used the “welding material” of tape for their project. This was quite a contrast to the creation of traditional metal sculpture, which often uses laser cutters to form designs.
McKean selected elements from over 100 student-made sculptures and assembled them into a single poster board maquette. That maquette became the pattern and model for Rori, a steel sculpture Cynthia built with her fabrication company.
The name Rori came from the enthusiastic roar of the students as they shouted out names for their collaborative creation. Each third grader saw part of their vision reflected in the final metal piece—an experience they will always remember.
Location
261 W Randolph St., Douglas, MI 49406
Experience this Sculpture
Walk around the sculpture.
How would you describe the shapes?
Look for angles, thin lines, open holes (also known as negative space), and pointed forms.
Take a closer look at the large red form.
What stands out?
It’s twisted, diagonal, and filled with jagged edges.
Find all the shapes attached to the red form.
What do you notice?
Which pieces are attached to it?
Notice the square shape of the orange base.
What parts of the sculpture are attached to it?
Think about how it was made.
Each component of Rori began as a flat shape—just like the maquette. The final steel sculpture maintains the spirit of those original cutouts, full of the youthful creativity of the third-grade artists.
Bright colors, bold shapes, and movement in every direction give Rori its playful personality.
