Nearly 40 years after public backlash and a midnight removal, the steel sculpture Night Winds has found a permanent home at the Longview Arboretum, kltv.com reported.
The nearly 17-foot-tall, three-ton structure spent over a decade stored inside a dump truck. Geff Grimes, Longview Arboretum Art Chairman, recalled seeing the piece as a kid. He said that the sculpture sparked fierce debates when it first appeared in the community.
“I remember as a kid, us driving by to go see ‘The thing,’ it was a thing,” Grimes said, according to ktre.com.
Commissioned by Kilgore College in 1981
Kilgore College’s Longview campus commissioned sculptor John Daniel in 1981 to add an artistic presence to the grounds. Daniel drew inspiration from the moon, clouds, and trees to create the monumental steel piece.
“From my understanding, he took inspiration from the moon and clouds and some trees and Night Winds was born,” Grimes told kltv.com.
The artwork stood on campus for five years before public complaints prompted college officials to take action. Facing mounting pressure over the design, the institution ordered the sculpture cut down overnight.
“The squeaky wheel gets the grease and there was enough squeaky from how unattractive some people found it that Kilgore College ultimately decided: We no longer want any part of this controversy and so they had it cut down in the middle of the night,” Grimes said to ktre.com.
Student Protests and Professor Resignation Follow Sculpture Removal
The midnight removal triggered student protests and further unrest across the campus community. During the subsequent demonstrations, a group of people went to a student’s home and assaulted him.
“There had been some student protests when they took it down. And then a group of people showed up to one of the students homes and beat him up,” Grimes told kltv.com.
A Kilgore College professor who supported the artwork resigned from his teaching position amid the bitter community debates. The sculpture itself remained sitting in a college parking lot for the next 11 years.
Relocation to Trinity School of Texas
In 1997, then Dean Julie Fowler noticed the neglected sculpture outside her window and advocated for its relocation. Fowler contacted the original artist to find a suitable home for the piece.
“He was very apprehensive about even returning to Longview especially given the literal violence that had occurred,” Grimes told ktre.com.
Fowler wanted a bright color to draw attention to the artwork, while Daniel preferred a natural tone to blend into the surroundings. They compromised by painting the steel a rich green shade, and the sculpture moved to the Trinity School of Texas, where it remained for 27 years.
“Julie (Fowler) was kind of Night Winds first savior,” Grimes said to kltv.com.
Permanent Installation at the Longview Arboretum
A school expansion project at Trinity School of Texas in 2024 required the artwork to move once again. The Longview Arboretum stepped in to acquire the three-ton steel archway.
“It takes my breath away every time I see it,” Grimes told ktre.com, adding that it meant a great deal to give the sculpture a secure environment. “It really, really does.”
Grimes pointed out that the public reception of art in Longview has shifted significantly over the past 45 years. Downtown Longview now features murals and public art installations across the city.
“In 1981 it was a much different world,” Grimes said, according to kltv.com. “Night Winds was so dramatically different than a Texas shaped flower bed. Now in downtown Longview we’ve got beautiful murals and public art all over the place.”
Sculpture Stands Ready for Public Viewing After Restoration
Following more than two years of restoration work, the Smithsonian-recognized sculpture now stands ready for public viewing. The Longview Arboretum is organizing plans to install a dedicated plaque and hold an official recognition ceremony in early 2027.
“Maybe they can relate to it,” Grimes told kltv.com when discussing the green steel structure. “We all go through tough situations, we all go through evolutions. Realize the resilience of it.”
Answers About the Restored Steel Sculpture
Why did Kilgore College remove the sculpture?
College officials decided to remove the piece after facing five years of intense public backlash regarding its appearance. Crews cut the 17-foot steel structure down in the middle of the night.
Where was the artwork stored for over a decade?
The three-ton steel sculpture spent more than ten years sitting inside a dump truck and later in a Kilgore College parking lot before Dean Julie Fowler intervened in 1997.
When will the arboretum dedicate the monument?
The Longview Arboretum plans to add an official plaque and hold a recognition ceremony for Night Winds in early 2027.
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