In its current location in front of the Gary J. Arthur Community Center in Cooksville, Abundance seems a fitting tribute to western Howard County’s farming heritage. Indeed, artist Paul Steinkoenig’s initial concept for the sculpture came from observing a sheaf of wheat. As the creation of the piece unfolded, however, its similarity to a bundle of arrows became increasingly apparent. When a friend who once worked on the transport of nuclear weapons told Steinkoenig of a stage of nuclear preparedness called “Broken Arrow,” a new idea emerged. Steinkoenig incorporated a single broken shaft into the sculpture, leaving it to the viewer to decide whether it is a shaft of wheat or perhaps a broken arrow instead, and thus representative of something entirely different.
A resident of Hyattsville, Steinkoenig has nearly a decade of public art experience. His sculptures were also included in ARTsites 2013 (In Harmony) and ARTsites 2019 (Sanctuary II – Faith, Hope, and Love).
ARTsites 2021 sculptures will be on display through July 2022. To request a copy of our ARTsites 2021 brochure, email info@hocoarts.org, or click here to download a digital copy.