The Controversy Over Alonzo Hauser's Promise of Youth Sculpture
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142 MINNESOTA HISTORY The Controversy Over Alonzo Hauser’s Promise of Youth Sculpture Martin Zanger Situated on the axis between the Beaux-Arts–styled Minnesota State Capitol and the sleek, modern Veterans Service Building on the State Capitol Mall is a statue by sculptor Alonzo Hauser entitled Promise of Youth. Whether or not passersby find the female figure positioned inside a lotus blossom attractive, they are likely unaware of the bitter controversy surrounding the birth of this work of art. Examining the drawn- out dispute reveals broader issues that often arise when governmental bodies make aesthetic decisions about public art. MARTIN ZANGER is emeritus professor of history, University of Wisconsin– La Crosse. A former chair of the Wisconsin Humanities Council, he has received fellowships from the D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Chicago’s Newberry Library, the US State Department’s Fulbright program (Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand), and the National Alonzo Hauser in his Eagan studio. Endowment for the Humanities (University of California, Berkeley). WINTER 2016–17 143 hortly after World War II, designer. The winner was young, In September 1947 Cavin lunched 40 years after the state Harvard- trained W. Brooks Cavin Jr. with sculptor Alonzo Hauser capitol building was (1914–2002). Cavin’s sympathetic (1909–88), discussing his plans for dedicated, Minnesota modern design met the competition the building. Hauser had taught lawmakersS finally agreed to beautify criteria that the new building should sculpture at Carleton College and had the capitol’s grounds and approach harmonize with the existing classi- recently founded Macalester College’s ways. (See related article on page cal revival style of state government art department. The young architect’s 120.) The massive project entailed buildings. Architecture critic Larry ideas intrigued him. “He has quite a eminent- domain proceedings, dis- Millett has described the Veterans sculpture program outline,” Hauser puted evictions of poor families, and Service Building as “one of the city’s wrote to his mother, E. Wynona rerouted thoroughfares. As part of first truly modern buildings of note.”1 Hauser, “so I am hoping to get on it. the overall plan, an advisory commit- Cavin moved to the Twin Cities . I will have to continue to be in tee and lawmakers envisioned a new from Washington, DC, in the fall there pitching so as to get the break if building to house activities related of 1946 to begin the huge project, it comes.”3 to veterans’ issues and a memorial buoyed by his good fortune in A native of La Crosse, Wisconsin, to honor Minnesota’s involvement in winning the coveted commission. Alonzo Hauser had studied sculp- the war. The building would contain Beyond the building itself, he envi- ture in Milwaukee and New York offices, archives, an auditorium, and sioned indoor and outdoor artistic City, where he also learned the stone meeting rooms for groups ranging embellishments: murals, bas relief, carver’s trade. Hauser engaged in from the American Legion and mosaics, and a reflecting pool con- social activism as a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars to Spanish- taining a fountain and a statue, Communist Party. In 1936 the Works American War Veterans and Jewish perhaps “a small playful free form Progress Administration (WPA) War Veterans. The legislature created . in bronze or stone.” Four years hired him to create sculpture for the 11- member Veterans Service later Cavin elaborated on possible the Resettle ment Administration’s Building Commission (VSBC) in 1945 ideas for the statue: either a life- sized planned community in Greendale, to oversee construction of the new bronze of someone connected to the Wisconsin. During World War II, facility. The commission began by building’s memorial nature or, if that prior to moving to Minnesota in 1944, conducting a national architectural proved too controversial, a symbolic Hauser worked at ceramics factories competition to select the building’s or mythical figure.2 in Milwaukee.4 left: Veterans Service Building (Brooks Cavin Jr. 1953–54, 1973), south façade. above: Brooks Cavin Jr. 144 MINNESOTA HISTORY Early models of the Promise of Youth sculpture with lotus petals open and closed (inset). and sculptor explained that the fig- The artist’s innovative concept for the sculpture featured ure’s gaze and uplifted hands were mechanically operated lotus petals that opened at dawn, meant to gesture toward a proposed 27 × 9–foot plaque on the building’s via a timer mechanism, to reveal a female nude with façade. Together the ensemble was uplifted arms. At dusk, the petals would close. meant to depict peace and progress. A front-page article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press in May 1952 announcing the proposed sculpture featured three Although the end of the war work (even traveling the carnival photographs of Hauser’s prelimi- brought renewed interest among circuit as a barker for a “surrealistic nary design: the lotus blossom both Minnesota legislators in developing extravaganza” created by Gypsy Rose opened and closed, and “a slender the State Capitol Mall, budgeting Lee and her husband, artist Julio de female figure.” Apparently, no sub- problems, land acquisition difficul- Diego). Cavin had encouraged Hauser committee members objected, and ties, and building- materials shortages during the five years since their the full commission subsequently during the Korean War all delayed first lunch, so Hauser— just “to keep gave tentative approval to proceed progress on the veterans’ building. busy”— had begun a model sculpture with a plaster modeling of the statue. Not until 1952 did Cavin negotiate piece for the veterans’ fountain.5 Hauser created a “figure a little an agreement for Hauser to create Hauser hosted several VSBC art larger than life- size in clay.” He spent the fountain piece. By this time, subcommittee members at his Eagan months “push[ing] the clay around” Hauser had resigned from Macalester studio to view a scaled- down clay until it satisfied him. The next steps and was scrambling to earn a living model, having first shown prelimi- would be to have it cast in plaster, through commercial and freelance nary sketches to Cavin. The architect then bronze, at a foundry.6 WINTER 2016–17 145 Hauser conceived the fountain’s It planned to meet in May to propose centerpiece, Promise of Youth, as “a a rudimentary building within the thing of beauty.” The artist’s inno- scope of the present appropriation, vative concept for the sculpture which would include the fountain featured mechanically operated lotus figure. If that approach failed, Hauser petals that opened at dawn, via a faced the prospect of seeking work as timer mechanism, to reveal a female a union stonecutter “in order to chip nude with uplifted arms. At dusk, the away” at his debts. He spent a week in petals would close. Hauser intended April cleaning up the plaster cast of to portray “youth yearning and the sculpture. “I have it in pretty good reaching out to peace and freedom,” shape now,” he wrote family mem- asserting that he did not intend “to bers. He hoped the project would create a memorial glorifying war.” In become a “sure thing” in May so that his artist’s statement, the one- time he could begin drawing some money radical (Hauser had quit the Commu- from it.8 nist Party in 1948) wrote of American After the artist finished his full- warfare in a manner that would be size plaster version, Cavin invited National Guard Major General Ellard A. met with nods of approval by Ameri- the VSBC chairman, Major General Walsh, about 1950. can Legion officials: Ellard A. Walsh, out to Hauser’s workshop. Lauded for his leadership comment. The architect felt “[Walsh] Our country has never embarked in the National Guard, locally and had talked with enough members so upon a punitive war meant only nationally, Walsh was also known they were prepared to turn it down. I for personal gain. Every war effort for his blunt opinions. According to was really crushed,” adding, “Neither has been forced upon us. We Hauser: “The General hardly took a Lonny [Hauser] nor I had thought of have formed armies and fought decent look at it and said ‘Nozzir, I [the sculpture] as the naked woman[,] to maintain our democratic will never approve of a nekkid lady only as a lovely female figure.” A dis- American way of life and form of on the capitol grounds.’ This came gusted Hauser compared the rejection government as first envisioned as quite a surprise as nothing along to being “socked in the nose.” The out- . by our founding fathers. A war this line has been said before.” Cavin raged sculptor railed against Walsh in memorial in our country focuses told Walsh that changes could not be particular, calling him “one of those attention on the ends of the war, made to the figure, saying, “I’m sorry, stupid dirty- minded devils that sees which are peace and freedom. In General, but I must insist that this evil in everything, no perception such a world of peace, youth may be brought before the Commission.” and absolutely no sense of art.”10 flourish to fulfill the dreams of those who served.7 “The General hardly took a decent look at it and said n the spring of 1953 Hauser ‘Nozzir, I will never approve of a nekkid lady on the Iexpressed frustration about the capitol grounds.’ This came as quite a surprise as budgetary woes and political maneu- vering that was hindering progress on nothing along this line has been said before.” the Veterans Service Building. Hard-