Rapid City’s Main Street Square is now separated from the street by several towering grey sculptures. The art has been completed after nearly five years of work.
The details on the downtown sculptures represent the cultural and geological history of the Black Hills. The project is titled Passage of Wind and Water. Masayuki Nagase is the artist. He’s been sculpting for over 40 years.
“If you talk about the change the last 150 years, its obvious its between Native people and the newcomers. This kind of change. But also I opened up the window a little bit wider. Geological time I went back and when it was covered with water around around here. That time span I bring indie of this project.”
Half of the project represents the Badlands and the other represents the Black Hills. He says he watched how locals use Main Street Square to come up with ideas. The sculptures are made with two types of granite found close to eastern South Dakota. Nagase says all of his work is based on nature.
“The main theme is transformation, change and hope. This theme is also supported by sub-theme and its visual theme, wind and water—Nature’s force. And most characteristic it’s energy and power to change the environment and to change everything.
Nagase says the time he spent working on the project allowed him to build relationships in the community. A ceremony for the completion of the sculptures will be held on Saturday at 4p.m. near the square.