In this 2018 file photo, Patrick Dougherty builds a sculpture entitled “A Restless Spell” on USU’s Logan campus. The sculpture removed on Thursday due to deterioration and the artist’s intended lifespan for the piece, officials say.

In this 2018 file photo, Patrick Dougherty builds a sculpture entitled “A Restless Spell” on USU’s Logan campus. The sculpture removed on Thursday due to deterioration and the artist’s intended lifespan for the piece, officials say.

Utah State University bid a fond farewell this week to “A Restless Spell” — a temporary sculpture crafted from willows located outside of the Merrill-Cazier Library.

“This week we said goodbye to ‘A Restless Spell,’” read a tweet from USU on Friday. “It was designed to last about two years, before it eroded and fell apart, and we were fortunate to have an extra two years with it.”

USU Spokesperson Emilie Wheeler said the removal process began early Thursday morning. On top of the sculpture’s somewhat minor deterioration over the years, Wheeler said the removal also reflected artist Patrick Dougherty’s intent for the piece.

“He does temporary installations in various places of the world, I believe, and they all have a certain life expectancy,” Wheeler said. “We’ve already had an extra two years — which is great. Everybody loved it, obviously. There’s been a lot of people who have been talking about it.”

A video on USU’s TikTok showed a small excavator working in the area where the sculpture once stood. And many people shared their affection for the piece on social media as well as disappointment that it was removed.

“That’s so sad. My two kids loved playing there,” one person wrote.

“This is a sad one to see go. Definitely a favorite of our family!” another commented.

The sculpture was originally built in September of 2018. According to Utah State Magazine, Dougherty installed the sculpture with the help of his son, community volunteers, and 110 USU students. An estimated 30,000 pounds of sticks were used in the sculpture’s construction.

“My job is to make sculptures that are evocative and really excite people’s imagination,” Dougherty said in a video produced by the university.

Wheeler said it was unclear what might become of the vacated space now that the sculpture has been removed.

For more information on Dougherty’s work, visit stickwork.net.

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