Something whimsical is coming to West Concord—and soon visitors to Junction Park will be greeted by a fanciful new sculpture designed to spark curiosity, imagination, and a sense of wonder. Centrally nestled at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Main Street, this August the park will become home to Rybee House 5, a striking work of public art that will invite passersby to pause, explore, and experience the creative spirit of the village center.
This striking piece will build on West Concord Cultural District’s legacy as a place where art has long been used to celebrate community, history, and economic vitality. It will be positioned alongside the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in this green space that is lovingly cared for by the dedicated West Concord Green Thumbs, whose gardens make it a vibrant and welcoming destination and gateway to the village. With many trail users often moving quickly through the area, the new sculpture will offer a compelling reason to slow down, enjoy the surroundings, and perhaps venture further into the heart of West Concord.
The selected sculpture, Rybee House 5, was created by Connecticut artist Stephen Klema, whose large-scale outdoor works have been exhibited nationally. Chosen from twenty-three submissions in response to a public Call for Art, the piece is part of Klema’s acclaimed Rybee House series, known for blending fantasy, shelter, and nature into imaginative sculptural forms.
Klema describes the work as “a roofed sculptural structure that incorporates a sense of whimsy and fantasy with archetypal images of shelter and nature.” The roof suggests home, the branching wooden forms evoke the movement of trees, and the doorway symbolizes transition and possibility. The sculpture promises to delight children and adults alike while reflecting West Concord’s own balance of history, growth, and renewal.
The project was made possible through the efforts of the West Concord Cultural District Committee in collaboration with the West Concord Green Thumbs. The West Concord Cultural District Committee is a seven-member volunteer group that uses grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to bring arts-based projects to the district. Their past initiatives include murals, public poetry installations, painted signal boxes, brochures, and an Art Loop celebrating local artists—all with the goal of making West Concord a vibrant and welcoming cultural destination.
Learn more about the artist and his creative process on these sites: StephenKlema.com and Blurb.com/books/3200966-wood-s-revenge.