Hansen Triangle and "Quantum Leaf" Grace The Principal Riverwalk
October 16, 2007 (Des Moines, Iowa) — More than 100 community and business leaders gathered today to formally dedicate the latest project to be completed along The Principal Riverwalk; Hansen Triangle, a new city plaza featuring the bronze sculpture "Quantum Leaf" by artist Sally Vagliano Pettus.
"Our hope for The Principal Riverwalk was to create a catalyst for development in downtown Des Moines. We are fortunate to have organizations like Hansen Company, Inc. that share our vision, and step up to support the community and its future," said Mary O'Keefe, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, the Principal Financial Group®. "We also recognize the heartfelt generosity of Melva Bucksbaum and Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan, for their gracious gift of Sally Pettus's beautiful sculpture — an iconic landmark for generations to come."
In honor of the firm's 25th anniversary, Hansen Company, Inc. committed a $500,000 gift to create Hansen Triangle, located south of the MidAmerican Energy Substation. "Quantum Leaf" was commissioned especially for The Principal Riverwalk by Melva Bucksbaum and her daughter Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan and generously given to the Des Moines Art Center.
"For over 25 years, the greater Des Moines community has rewarded Hansen with many exciting construction opportunities. The Principal Riverwalk and Hansen Triangle give us a unique and significant way to commemorate our 25th year in business and say thank you to the community," said Craig Hansen, president of Hansen Company, Inc.
"Quantum Leaf" is 15 feet in diameter and comprises a cast bronze leaf, seemingly floating in a pool of water. The complex fountain, with water spilling gently over its bowl-like form, will provide a poetic site for meditation. The sculpture gives the viewer an image of nature that has served its purpose — a fallen leaf — that now functions with new vitality as a vessel of renewal.
"The Des Moines Art Center is grateful for the gift and pleased to have had the opportunity to collaborate with The Principal®, Hansen Company, and the city of Des Moines in helping create a public site for the entire community," said Jeff Fleming, director of the Des Moines Art Center.
About Sally Vagliano Pettus
Sally Vagliano Pettus creates bronze sculptures of animals and natural forms, often in conjunction with water or fountains. Painter turned sculptor, Pettus has shown in New York at the Fischbach Gallery, The AM Sachs Gallery, the Katarina Rich Perlow Gallery, and is currently represented by the Peter Findlay Gallery at 41 East 57th Street in New York.
About The Principal Riverwalk
The Principal Riverwalk will connect the east and west sides of Des Moines through a seamless series of walking paths and bridges. Once completed, this 1.2-mile loop will anchor four downtown Des Moines major attractions: the Botanical Center, the Court Avenue District, the Science Center of Iowa and the Iowa Events Center. The project also serves as a hub for the city's numerous bike trails, completing a loop from the Saylorville area to Gray's Lake.
About Hansen Company, Inc.
Since 1979, the Hansen Company, Inc. has been dedicated to performing the highest quality service, making it a leader and innovator in the construction industry. Today, with an experienced portfolio of construction, renovation and management services for every type of building and project, Hansen Company creates effective and efficient partnerships between owners, designers and builders.
About the Des Moines Art Center
Recognized by international art critics as a world-class museum in the heart of the Midwest, the Des Moines Art Center has amassed an important collection with a major emphasis on contemporary art. The collection's overriding principle is a representation of artists from the nineteenth century to the present, each through a seminal work. This accounts for an impressive collection that ranges from Edward Hopper's Automat to Jasper Johns' Tennyson, Henri Matisse's Woman in White, Georgia O'Keeffe's From the Lake No. 1, and Francis Bacon's Study after Velásquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X.
The Art Center's physical complex marries with the collection for a totally integrated experience. The collection is housed in three major buildings; each designed by a world-renowned architect, Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier. With the exception of special events, admission to the museum is free. Hours are Tuesday - Friday 11 am — 4 pm; every Thursday 11 am — 9 pm; Saturday 10 am — 4 pm; Sunday Noon — 4 pm; closed Monday.
The Des Moines Art Center opened a branch museum in 2003 in the Wells Fargo Financial building at 800 Walnut Street. An extension of the world-renowned Des Moines Art Center, the Des Moines Art Center Downtown exhibition space features three or four exciting and fresh exhibitions each year. General admission to the branch location is also free. Hours are 11 am — 4 pm, Monday — Friday and second Saturdays during exhibitions.
About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)1 is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies and national network of financial professionals. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $282.1 billion in assets under management2 and serves some 18.1 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.
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1)"The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered trademarks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.
2) As of June 30, 2007.
