{"id":515259,"date":"2026-03-10T15:47:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/515259\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T15:47:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:47:12","slug":"endurance-artist-saddened-by-roundabout-sculpture-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/515259\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Endurance\u2019 artist saddened by roundabout sculpture damage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Durango woman suspected of impaired driving struck Florida Road installation<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Firefighter bunker gear cover the \u201cEndurance\u201d cyclists sculpture on Florida Road in honor of Scott Gallagher, a Durango Fire Protection District firefighter who was killed while riding his bicycle in Durango. The piece was damaged Sunday night when a drunk driver ran into it. (Jerry McBride, Durango Herald file)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Boulder artist who designed and built \u201cEndurance,\u201d a collection of cyclist sculptures at the Florida Road roundabout, said he was saddened by the destruction of his work but grateful no one was hurt.<\/p>\n

At least three of the sculptures were damaged Sunday night when a driver jumped the roundabout and crashed into the cycling figures. The driver was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody was hurt. That’s certainly the most important thing,\u201d said Joshua Wiener, when reached Monday for comment.<\/p>\n

Wiener is an avid cyclist and sculptor who lives in Boulder. He said he learned of the crash and the damage to his public art piece from a friend.<\/p>\n

The piece can be remade, and though it is unfortunate to see it broken, the outpouring of community support has been touching, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s with a heavy heart that it\u2019s been damaged,\u201d Wiener said. \u201cBut that\u2019s kind of the beauty of metal \u2013 it could be fixed, it could be rebuilt. I\u2019d certainly aim to, if we went that direction, utilize as much as possible of what is salvageable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Residents have long decorated the sculptures for holidays and local or national events: rabbit ears for Easter, Santa hats for Christmas, pumpkin buckets for Halloween and firefighter gear to honor a firefighter hit and killed by a drunken driver.<\/p>\n

Wiener said he had not yet been in touch with the city of Durango regarding the future of \u201cEndurance.\u201d<\/p>\n

City spokesman Tom Sluis said the city has not yet had time to decide what to do with the piece.<\/p>\n

Wiener lived on Florida Road for 10 years, and \u201cEndurance\u201d was installed in 2012 to commemorate the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. It was constructed from 12,000 individual steel parts and 28,000 welds and took roughly three months to complete, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of parts and pieces,\u201d Wiener said. \u201cI really tried to get the feeling in each figure \u2013 the gesture, the position.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the piece represents his love for Durango, cycling and his brother, Adam, who died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and got him into the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really one of my all-time favorite pieces, in relation to my brother, the town, the community, the friends that I\u2019ve played with on wheels or on snow,\u201d Wiener said. \u201cThere\u2019s this sense of play. There\u2019s a little bit of humor to have five cyclists in the middle of the road. I\u2019ve been really honored to have had it there as long as I have, and I really hope to see it rise again.\u201d<\/p>\n

sedmondson@durangoherald.com<\/p>\n

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