S/WING
American artist, sculptor, and architectural designer Ivan Depeña's public artwork titled S/WING draws inspiration from movement and flight, merging the graceful arc of a golf swing, inspired by Jack Nicklaus, with the fluid motion of a bird’s wings.
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.
S/WING:
Additional funding approved by Dublin City Council on April 7, 2025.
Due to the six month delay from the selection of the concept and the signing of the contract, the cost of materials went up and the availability of fabricators changed. The artist Ivan Depeña worked diligently with suppliers and fabricators to research best options to realize the project and presented this information to the City of Dublin and Dublin Arts Council. Together, they agreed to bring this information to Dublin City Council for approval.
On Monday, April 7, the City of Dublin staff presented options to Dublin City Council based on the research Ivan conducted. Ivan was in attendance to make the recommendation on the preferred fabrication method of precast concrete. The precast option provides the most durable, reliable material and it is also the only option that would be completed in time for the 50th anniversary of the Muirfield Memorial Tournament. The precast option required additional funds.
Dublin City Council unanimously approved the recommendation that the City of Dublin staff amend the artist contract to increase the funding from $175,000 to $250,000 to allow for the best possible product delivered on time. The additional funds will come from the $75,000 Art in Public Places bed tax allocation for 2025, which was not being used for this commission thanks to additional State funding. The Dublin City Council meeting recording can be found here.
We are excited to celebrate this public artwork in time for the 50th anniversary of the Muirfield Memorial Tournament in 2026!
ARCHIVE
December 2024 City of Dublin Approves Contract with Artist Ivan Depeña for the Muirfield Public Art Commission. The City of Dublin staff brought forward a resolution to Dublin City Council at the Nov. 4 meeting to approve a contract with artist Ivan Depeña for the Muirfield Drive Public Art Commission. The contract was authorized, and the project is planned to move forward at the Muirfield and Whittingham Drive location, with an anticipated completion in early 2026. Ivan Depeña was unanimously recommended by a selection committee for the Muirfield Drive Public Art Commission as part of the Dublin Art in Public Places program during an artist presentation held by Dublin Arts Council on June 13. The committee presented Depeña's artwork titled “S/WING” to Dublin City Council for their approval as the next art installation in Dublin. On Thursday, June 13th the finalist presentations for the Muirfield Drive Public Art Commission were held from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Dublin Recreation Center. With feedback given by 65 people in attendance and 32 people who attended virtually, the selection committee deliberation resulted in the selection of an artist and his proposal. The selection committee unanimously recommend artist Ivan Depeña and his proposal, S/WING (working title). As for next steps, City of Dublin staff will bring forward a resolution to Council to enter into contract with the artist to commission the next public artwork that will be located at Muirfield Drive and Whittingham Dr
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.
More about the artist.
Ivan Toth Depeña 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.
