Those who know Nancy Schön — the Newton-based artist who created the iconic Make Way for Ducklings sculpture in Boston’s Public Garden — may be surprised by her latest work, which has taken on a darker, political tone than her classic whimsical animals.
The 96-year-old sculptor has not shied away from more tragic political sculptures in her career. Notably, her 2024 sculpture titled Ukraine – featuring a bear-shaped boot threatening to devour a small nightingale – offers her feelings about the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine was on display on the weekend of June 27th, when Schön invited guests to an exhibition in her home to unveil her darkest and most gripping sculptures yet. Her latest exhibit drew on her penchant for political artwork, displaying pieces commenting on what she termed “the horrors” that she finds in the current-day American government.
“These are not funny, these are horrible pieces that I’m doing,” said Schön. “But they’re telling the truth, and I’m not afraid to tell the truth. I’m taking a chance to tell the truth.” The sculptor aptly named the exhibit My Truth, highlighting the deeply personal and powerfully political inspiration behind her art.
“We’re losing so much, and in a sense, it was almost easy to make sculptures of the horrors that I believe are happening,” she said. “Hopefully, we [as a society] will have some changes.”
Of course, no Schön showcase would be complete without animals. Several sculptures featured in My Truth draw heavily on political iconography. Works depicting Democratic donkeys and Republican elephants are seen throughout the exhibition, often commenting on the lack of cooperation between the parties. For instance, United We Stand, Divided We Fall illustrates the erosion of political cooperation due to ever-polarizing parties by showing a donkey and an elephant engaging in a fierce tug of war, ripping an American flag in half.
Another sculpture, Guns, also relies on political animal imagery. Though Schön said it was hard for her to pick a piece that she found the most fulfilling to work on, she pointed to Guns as a way to communicate her anguish over the state of gun-control legislation. “I believe the elephant with his gun speaks about how the gun lobby has taken over,” Schön said.
However, she was moved by many sculptures, sometimes to tears. “Almost the very last piece I did was about universities,” she said. “When I finished that piece, I started to cry.”
Schön hopes the messaging in My Truth will resonate with her viewers, inspiring them to think critically about their political world. “I hope we’ll all try to do one more thing that will help to maintain our democracy. We must have a democracy,” Schön said. “I’m hoping this show will spread.”
Some pieces shown in the exhibition can be viewed or purchased on her website, along with a collection of other sculptures.
Noa Kelmer-Racin is a Fig City student reporter and a rising junior at Princeton University.
