Maplewood History: The Hunt for a Creative Reuse of the Maplewood Cyclone – Part 2

In preparation for my presentation to Matt and Jennifer Williams I had taken many photos of the chimney and the Maplewood Cyclone. They were great subjects. The surviving chimney still is. Puts me in mind of a Tuscan tower in brick.

About this time I had an idea that an art competition should be held with a prize going to the artist/s that came up with the best idea, painting, or whatever for the adaptive reuse of the Maplewood Cyclone. Our then very new Community Development director, Rachelle L’Ecuyer was onboard with the creation of an art event. She suggested Bastille Day and in this fashion, Let Them Eat Art was born. I would like to make clear that I had a very minor role on the LTEA committee for the first couple of years. I’ve had no involvement at all since. Ms. L’Ecuyer deserves all of the credit for turning LTEA into Maplewood’s number one civic event.

The first year of LTEA was 2006. My original idea was expanded into the creation of an art event with prizes for the best art (any kind of art) inspired by the City of Maplewood. First amongst the prizes offered was a $300 prize sponsored by myself and others for the best painting featuring the Maplewood Cyclone. St. Louis artist Steve Turner’s rendition was a clear winner and he took that prize home. Steve has since informed me that the same painting has since won another award in a different show.

It was Steve Turner who showed me cyclonic collectors that had been represented in some of the mid-twentieth century precisionist paintings of the very famous artist, Charles Demuth.

Searching for ideas I asked the talented Maplewood artist, Karen Smith to give me some of her thoughts about the chimney and the Cyclone. She said these are powerful forms and the chimney is very masculine. I thought if the chimney is masculine there is a good case to be made that the Maplewood Cyclone is feminine.

The DaVinci Code was popular at the time. Some of the symbolism mentioned in the book was of the sacred feminine “v” sometimes represented as a chalice. That form was certainly present in the appropriate location in the Cyclone. Also as a former figure drawing student, I can tell you that the feminine form differs from the masculine in that a typical female is a bit wider in the hips than the shoulders. Same with the Cyclone.

In the end, our Historic Preservation Committee agreed that the Cyclone should be designated as important historically. And though I warned our council that they would effectively be neutering our business district if they allowed those elements to be removed, a majority of the council members voted not to extend historic landmark status to them.

To be continued.