We’re starting out of the gate with $7,500 in matching funds to help us restore the second most recognizable piece of public art on Market Street. You know it’s spring when Leda comes out of hibernation and back to her place in our fountain in front of our nonprofit center.
History doesn’t just live in the past, structures and art have a role to play at different points in their timelines and our nonprofit center is also part of the continuum of life supported between our walls and under our roof. This statue was placed during a time when a family loved their home, but we are no less a “home” for nonprofits and we continue to care for and maintain this property as a public space and a safety net for a modern and vibrant community.
We don’t know for sure how long this fountain has been here but some of our oldest photos of the building show it in the front garden and like our restoration of the dog, it’s now time to undergo a major restoration project to preserve her. The project will include repairing the fountain basin and replacing many of her internal components to preserve a working fountain. We will also remove the many layers of paint and epoxy that have held her together for the past several years.
Leda is an icon in Frederick and is listed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database. We plan to remove her for the season in September/October and start the restoration process in the hope that she will return for the 2026 season in her rightful place.
Your donation of $25 or more will help us match the $7,500 we have already raised to complete this work. These ducks will swim in Leda’s pool for the season and help preserve her for many seasons to come.
Thank you.
