The public artwork titled S/WING draws inspiration from biomechanics that include avian flight, and the graceful arc of a golf swing, inspired by Jack Nicklaus (and other golfers), with the fluid motion of a bird’s wings during flight.
Installation of the piece in the open green space between Whittingham and Muirfield Drive, adjacent to the 13th hole entry gate, is anticipated for Spring 2026, with a dedication ceremony in May before the 50th Anniversary of the
Memorial Tournament.
The sculpture is envisioned as a place of reflection and inspiration, connecting past and present, nature and community.
WHITTINGHAM & MUIRFIELD DRIVE
The open green space includes an approximate 10-foot-high knoll which enhances visibility for a potential public artwork. The site is accessible by bike/walking paths and is very visible when driving north- or south-bound on Muirfield Dr. The site is located adjacent to the Memorial Tournament’s 12th hole
and the 13th hole entry gate, providing opportunities for a broadcast landmark that will be visible on a global stage.
The site also meets a variety of public art site selection criteria, including providing a location that, when activated by art,
will create a strong sense of place.
Ivan Depeña
Ivan is a hispanic-american artist currently based in Charlotte, NC, after having lived and worked in Miami, FL and New York, NY. With a Masters Degree in Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Depeña’s artistic production is informed by his experience in art, architecture, technology and design, and encompasses
a range of media.
Depeña has been working increasingly in the public realm and maintains a rigorous, self-directed studio practice. He has exhibited extensively, nationally and internationally, in both solo and group exhibitions, including at the McColl Center, NC; Praxis NY, NYC; New Britain Museum of American Art, CT; Miami Art Museum, Frost Art Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami. Depeña has recently completed large-scale public commissions in New York, NY; Denver, CO; Albuquerque, NM; Gainesville, and Miami, FL. His work is held in numerous public and private collections.
Ivan has won Public Art of the Year for various projects from Americans for the Arts and the Public Art Network. In early 2014, he was awarded a prestigious Knight Arts Challenge Miami Grant for his proposal for a first of its kind series of augmented reality public art projects throughout South Florida called “Lapse”. Depeña was also a finalist for the renowned Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) Grants & Commissions program for Hispanic artists for 2017-2018. In addition, he received a nomination for the prestigious United States Artist grant in 2017.
