While on your next spring stroll, be sure to pause and admire the public art on display in Edina. An especially eye-catching piece is a sculpture called “Bonded Souls” located near the fountain at 50th and France. Created by artist James Bearden of Des Moines, Iowa, this 2016 third-place People’s Choice Award winning sculpture depicts a group of friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time. But “when they get together, it’s like they’ve never been apart,” Bearden says.
Bearden worked in graphic design for 16 years and also painted. He began doing metalwork about 10 years ago. He typically begins by making small models and then cuts raw steel with a plasma cutter into pieces that look similar to the models. He then fuses bronze to steel with a torch. “When you fuse the bronze stick onto the steel surface [of the sculpture],” says Bearden, “it melts like butter, creating a naturally occurring texture that I simply help along.”
“Bonded Souls” is priced at $8000. Art lovers can view and purchase additional artwork by visiting Bearden’s studio located in a building from the 1900s with a gallery in the front and a workspace in the back. “It’s open while I’m working,” Bearden says. Folks from Edina have visited Bearden in Des Moines. He says, “Edina kind of launched my public career in 2012. I hold Edina in high regard.”
To view more artwork by James Bearden visit the website here.
