For more than 40 years, a rather unusual creature has kept watch over Cedar Lake.
Across from Cedar Lake South Beach, on a small triangle of land officially known as 3201 Cedar Lake Ave., sits Loch Ness, the kinetic sculpture created by artist Bruce Stillman. Commissioned by Norman and Sanders “Sandy” Ackerberg in 1983, the sculpture and the land beneath it are now for sale.
Loch Ness has been a neighborhood landmark almost from the moment Mr. Stillman began building it. Writing in the Nov. 3, 1984, edition of the Hill & Lake Press, Gretchen Vander Welde described the work taking shape:
“Sculptor Bruce Stillman with paint, acetylene torch, and hack saw can be seen working on his creation through good and bad weather.”
Four decades later, Mr. Stillman’s creation remains a familiar sight to walkers, bikers, beachgoers and drivers passing Cedar Lake.
The property is owned by the Alan C. Ackerberg Trustees. Hennepin County classifies the parcel as “vacant land-residential” and lists an estimated value of $17,700.
The seller could not be reached before publication for information about the asking price, the sculpture’s maintenance costs or what the sale could mean for Loch Ness.
For now, the landmark remains in its familiar spot. Its future may depend on who buys the tiny piece of Cedar Lake shoreline it has called home since 1983.
Courtney Cushing Kiernat is a regular contributor. She lives in Kenwood.
